


Freedom || Reiner Braun x fem!Reader

by Miss_saviorcomplex



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Attack on Titan Final Season, Depressed Reiner Braun, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fanfiction, Help, Hero Complex, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Manga & Anime, Marley (Shingeki no Kyojin), Marley Arc (Shingeki no Kyojin), Moral Dilemmas, Morality, My First AO3 Post, My First Time Writing Romance, My First Work in This Fandom, Normalize Blaming Your Problems on Eren Jaeger, Paradis Island (Shingeki no Kyojin), Reader-Insert, Reiner Hurts My Heart, Reiner simp, Savior Complex, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Anime Spoilers, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Manga Spoilers, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Season/Series 04 Spoilers, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Spoilers, Soft Reiner Braun, You. You are a Reiner simp, all i know is pain, idk how to write romance, what is love?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28856955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_saviorcomplex/pseuds/Miss_saviorcomplex
Summary: Freedom.A common recurring theme in stories, and something almost everyone wants. But at what cost?How far are you willing to go to obtain your desires? What sacrifices are you willing to make?And what morals are you willing to abandon?(Y/n) Tybur is an iconic figure throughout Marley. Being the only Tybur to publicly show her face, she's known and adored for her kindness towards everybody, even the Eldians. She isn't afraid to voice her controversial opinion on them, either, and because of this, people have seen her as being "too good" for this world."She's an angel," some may say...But what good is an angel without wings?- - -Sum love for Reiner because I may or may not possibly have an undiagnosed savior complex for him sjfjzjcjd 🤧🤧🤧Also, this is my first time writing romance AND I've never been in a relationship so FJZMXMZMCN feel free to whoop my ass if certain scenes/interactions become unbearable!CONTAINS MANGA SPOILERS!- - -STARTED: 1/16/21COMPLETED: ---*updates every Sunday (EST)*
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Reader
Comments: 14
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

_**"... What?" She questioned in a hushed tone, almost too scared to ask such a thing in the first place, fearing the untold and unwanted truth. "It can't be... So you're saying...They killed my father?"** _

_**"It would seem so."** _

_**"But why?" Her voice quivered.** _

_**"According to the government, he knew too much. They recognized his last name and hunted him down during a business trip to Wall Maria. The breach just so happened to be the perfect cover up." The man told her. "When you enlisted in the Training Corps, they were able to connect you to your father and decided to not take any chances, hence why you were kidnapped as well."** _

_**The teen brought her hands to her head, trembling. She just couldn't believe it. She'd been deceived.** _

_**"(Y/n)." Her Commander called out to her. "Do you... Happen to know anything your father knew? Anything about Titans, and the world beyond these walls?"** _

_**Searching her mind for any memories, her eyes widened, remembering her childhood. Back when her father would homeschool her, telling her about the history of the island, and the biology of Titans.** _

_**All the knowledge came rushing back to her.** _

_**Noticing her revelation, Erwin turned around, walking to a horse. "We'll discuss this along the way to meet with the others."** _

_**...** _

_**"So, Reiner." Hange knelt before the limbless man. "What exactly is this steel case we found inside the left side of your chest?"** _

_**(Y/n) stood a little ways behind them, spectating.** _

_**"You used all the strength you had left to try to get to this thing... Before we lopped off all your limbs." They held up the metal casing. "Suicide pills? Or maybe it's a bomb?"** _

_**Some silence passed before the blond finally managed to gasp out, "... A letter."** _

_**"A letter? ... What kind of letter?" Hange questioned further.** _

_**"A letter... From Ymir. Please... You have to... Give it... To Christa."** _

_**The brunette stared at him before replying, "After we examine it."** _

_**Standing up, they pulled out one of their swords. Jean's eyes widened while Mikasa and (y/n) just looked away. "All right. I have a mountain if questions to ask you, but... Your mouth seems to be as hard as your armor." Rubbing the edge with their hand, they asked, "I wonder... Will you tell us what we want to know?"** _

_**Reiner slowly smirked. "Nope."** _

_**Hange immediately pushed their blade against his throat, trapping the teen against the wall.** _

_**"Wait, please!" Jean exclaimed, an arm outstretched to them. "Are you sure about this? Isn't it possible... that we could take his power from him?"** _

_**He looked down. "That's... Not like you. If you're content with leaving things unknown... How can we ever expect to defeat the Titans?"** _

_**"Jean..." Mikasa whispered** _

_**"When will we ever know enough... To face our enemies?"** _

_**Hange stayed still, pondering, but (y/n) grew agitated at the growing suspense. Turning around, she yelled, "Agh, just hurry up and get it over with, already! I can't stand having to constantly think about killing someone like him!"** _

_**She couldn't look at him any longer. Once an old friend, now a traitor. She just wanted everything to be over.** _

_**The Section Commander's eyes lowered. "... Mikasa."** _

_**"Yes?"** _

_**"How much gas do you have left?"** _

_**The girl stopped to think. "... Hardly any... But... It's enough to reach Eren and Armin."** _

_**"That's more than enough." They responded. "Mikasa. Go check on Eren and the others immediately. Replenish your gas while your there, and get the injection from Levi. If you can't do that for whatever reason, fire a flare." Looking back at Reiner, they finished with, "That will be my signal to end Reiner."** _

_**"Understood." The teen then flew off to her childhood friends.** _

_**Jean looked down. "Hange... I..."** _

_**"This was my decision. You only provided me data." They cut him off, gazing elsewhere. "The question is, who?"** _

_**"Huh?" He lifted his head.** _

_**"Who are we turning into a Titan? There's Sasha, who's injured, but not critically. Or..." Their eyes wandered to the side. "Is there a better candidate?"** _

_**(Y/n) stood alone, busy with her thoughts.** _

**'If there's no one critically injured... Then we may be able to give it to (y/n). With the knowledge she has, using the injection on her could help further our research.'** _**Hange thought to themself, staring at the girl's back.** _

_**A flare is fired, but before they could react, a quadrupedal Titan came running in. Jean's eyes widened.** _

_**"Hange! (Y/n)!"** _

_**Anchoring a wire, he whizzed toward the two to push them out of the way, but (y/n) turned around in surprise, accidentally dodging him. Instead, she caught sight of the Cart Titan rushing at her with an open mouth before its jaws closed around her.** _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


\- - -

"I'm sorry (y/n), but I cannot allow this."

"Huh?"

"I do not approve of your request."

"But why?" (Y/n) questions, standing before the man as she does her best to keep her composure. 

He sighs, putting down his pen before standing up and walking from his desk, stopping at a large window and gazing outside.

"You truly are a strange one, (y/n). Most would do anything to live a quiet and lavish life like us. Yet here you are, tirelessly begging to join the war." He then turns his gaze to her. "But I assure you, there's no need to worry so much."

At her sides, the woman's fists tighten.

"But you can't possibly expect me to sit here and do nothing as our men are throwing their lives out for this country. This war has been going on for far too long." She pushes further.

"And what will you do if I say yes? Propose an impossible treaty?"

(Y/n) goes silent.

She knows that peacefully settling this war is impossible at this point, but still, if there is a chance...

"That would be ideal. But if it really is something that cannot be achieved, then I will assist our soldiers in battle."

His expression grows tiresome as he closes his eyes with furrowed brows. Letting out another sigh, he walks up to his niece. "I'm sorry but it's far too dangerous for you to go. It's not even our place to be involved with the affairs of Marley, you know that."

"I know, but..." She hesitates, searching for words. "I'll fight on the battlefield if I have to. I have the experience-"

"(Y/n)." The man's voice cuts her off, his sudden deepness catching her off guard. "Your life prior to four years ago never existed, so do not speak of it ever."

"R-Right..."

"You are not permitted to enter war, and that is final. Now, I do not wish to have this conversation ever again."

A heavy silence fills the room before a knock interrupts. Soon after, a maid comes in with some news.

"Lord Willy Tybur, our army has won the war, and they will be returning shortly."

Her uncle's expression brightens as he turns his attention back to (y/n). "See? What did I tell you?"

Her gaze lowers. "My apologies... Then, I will go and get ready to greet them. Have a good day."

Heading to her room, she tells a nearby servant to have a temporary hospital set up where the soldiers will be staying before returning to Liberio, and to gather doctors and medical supplies there. 

Closing the door behind herself, a bird greets (y/n) as it is standing at the window. Its appearance lifts her mood as she walks up to it. 

This exotic bird has been one of her few friends here in Marely, and was gifted to the woman for her birthday. One could mistaken it as a crow, with its dark color, but on closer inspection and under light, the blue and green shine can be seen on it's feathers.

"You're back again?" (Y/n) questions while petting it's head. "You're really weird, you know. No matter how many times I set you free, you always fly back."

She then goes silent as her thoughts wander.

"I wonder... If I were to leave you... Would you fly around and search for me until your final breath...? Or would you finally liberate yourself from this role as a pet?"

The bird only pays attention to her hand as it slides against its black iridescent feathers, not understanding a single word she had just said. Placing her other hand at its feet, the creature steps on.

"But you shouldn't stay here any longer." (Y/n) tells it whilst holding her arms farther outside. Her companion understands the gesture and takes off, flapping it's wings. "Fly. Somewhere far away."

The woman's gaze lingers on its retreating figure, longingly, before she eventually closes the window.

Seated before her vanity, (y/n) absent-mindedly brushes her hair, watching as each of the bristles glide through the strands. Looking back up at her own reflection, her brows furrow. She can hardly recognize herself. Even though this is supposedly the girl's true identity, it just feels so wrong to her. 

(Y/n) closes her eyes, remembering the rush of adrenaline as the winds whip past her. Back when she could fly. 

But a sudden knock brings the maiden out of thought. 

_'That's right, back when I could... But I'm no longer able to. As uncle Willy said, my life four years ago never happened.'_

Getting up, she opens the door, where a maid informs the noble that her ride is ready.

_'But soon. Soon, I will be able to fly again.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: Hi! Thank you so much for choosing to read this fanfic! Feel free to leave any comments, even if they're not related to the story, as they make my day :) 
> 
> Also, side note, the reader's bird is a bird-of-paradise (I thought it was fitting/ironic lol). I went into further detail in describing it since it corresponds to a rhyme about counting ravens/crows. So if y'all wanna check it out ;) 
> 
> That's all I have for today! Have a lovely day/night, and thank you again for reading! ^^


	2. Chapter 2

(Y/n) sighs, finally taking a break after hours of tending to wounded soldiers. She hasn't been able to check in on the Warriors or the Warrior candidates, since they were resting and given top priority care. Knowing they were in good hands, she instead focused on treating the other Eldians, as well as those from the enemy's side.

Pausing at a metalwork shop, the woman stops to stare at the displayed products. It was mainly showing off gears in several mechanisms, as well as some decorative pieces.

_'I already have most parts. All I need is the grappling hooks, but they have more of a unique shape... Maybe I can request for custom pieces...'_

She reaches down into her purse to grab her wallet, only to realize that she didn't bring any money. She huffs. "Well then, maybe next time."

"Oh, Miss (y/n)! Is that you?" A young voice calls to her.

Turning in the direction of its origin, (y/n) spots a young girl running toward her, followed by three other kids of the same age. Her face lights up at seeing the Tybur member. "Miss (y/n)!"

"Gabi!" The latter quietly exclaims.

The girl stops right in front of her.

"Where were you earlier? Why didn't you meet up with us when we arrived? I wanted to tell you something, you won't believe what happened!" She talks enthusiastically. 

"Gabi, you shouldn't ask those things..." A quieter voice interferes with the conversation. 

A small smile makes its way to (y/n)'s face. "Don't worry, Falco." To which Gabi sticks her tongue out at said boy. "I knew you all were in good hands, so I was helping the doctors with healing the other soldiers." She explains.

The girl's eyes seem to sparkle as she stares at the lady with wide eyes and an open mouth. "As expected of you, Miss (y/n)! You're always so kind to everyone!"

(Y/n) lets out a short laugh.

"Anyways, did you hear?" Not giving a chance to answer, Gabi then goes on to describe her feat at Fort Slava.

"That's incredible, Gabi! You're really brave for doing that."

She proudly puts her hand on her hips. "It was nothing, really."

"That's our Gabi for you." Zofia chimes in.

"But, is everyone alright? Children shouldn't worry about such things, let alone be involved in war." (Y/n)'s tone changes into a more sullen one.

The four glance at each other before nodding. "Of course! If it's for the greater good of the motherland, and to prove that the rest of us Eldians are good, then I'll happily take part in war!" Gabi proclaims with pride. The rest agree.

The woman then averts her gaze upwards, noticing a certain blond male watching the interaction from a little ways back. She smiles.

"Reiner, you made it back safe as well."

"Yeah. More or less." He answers with a grin of his own whilst walking up to her. "By the way, (y/n), I don't think I've seen you in a dress before, and you're hair has really grown. It looks nice on you."

Staring up at him, a confused expression is on (y/n)'s face as she's unsure of how to respond. The kids beside the two seem rather taken aback as well, but (y/n) soon recognizes the situation. 

"Is that so? Because I've worn dresses and skirts most of the time I'm out." She tells him, "Maybe this whole war thing has gotten to your head."

The brightness in Reiner's eyes appears to fade as he's brought back to reality, his smile gradually falling with it.

"Oh... Yeah. You're probably right." He mutters, bringing a hand to his head.

"Don't overwork yourself, it's been a long four years." (Y/n) says while turning back around and continuing to walk. "Hey, when are you guys going back to Liberio?"

"The train will be arriving later today." Udo responds.

"So tonight, huh?" She hums, "That's a bit earlier than expected... But I'll manage."

"Eh? Does that mean..." Gabi trails off.

"I'm going with you guys to Liberio for a few days to help take care of the soldiers." The lady announces.

The girl then jumps up and grabs onto her arm. "Then, can we show you around?! It's not often that you visit Liberio!"

Chuckling, she tells her, "I told you, Gabi, this isn't just some vacation for me. I'm going to be with the soldiers."

The girl pouts at this, so (y/n) sighs. "... I suppose I could extend my stay. There _is_ going to be a festival there within a month."

"Really?! Yahoo!" She cheers, running off. The other children run after her.

"Hey! Be careful! And don't go too far!" (Y/n) warns them before they could get out of earshot, leaving her and Reiner. She puts her hands on her hips, mumbling under her breath, "Geez, those kids. They can easily get hurt or in trouble with such reckless behaviors... But, it's nice to see them having fun."

Noticing the latter being a couple steps behind, she retraces her steps so that they're walking alongside each other. "... You're still rather awkward around me. Are you like this with everyone your age?"

Turning away, the man only apologizes with a gruff "sorry."

"Hey, you're not even looking at me. That hurts a little, you know?" She attempts to lift the mood before asking, "Don't tell me you're still feeling guilty?"

His shoulders tense up.

_'Bingo.'_

(Y/n) sighs once again, her tone changing from the light, sweet voice she usually has. "Personally, I don't hold any type of grudge against you. Not only were you guys doing your job, but you were doing what you thought was right. Besides, the fact that you feel guilt shows that you've had a change of heart." Reiner stays silent, so she goes on. "It's unfortunate you and Zeke didn't get credit for finding me, though. Instead they made up some stupid story of how my father found love while traveling and had me, then died due to an illness."

_'Well, that story isn't completely wrong, either.'_ She mentally comments.

Finally spotting the kids, who are talking with Porco and Pieck, the two of them head their way.

"I heard you protected Zeke from the Mid-East's navy attack. Everyone sees it as a courageous act, but... You were secretly hoping it would kill you, right? Just like all those other times you sacrificed yourself."

Again, no answer, until...

"I'm just using my powers to the best of its abilities."

(Y/n) falls silent for a moment, before replying, "Is that so? Well, I'm happy to hear that. It would dishearten me if you truly felt that way."

_'Liar.'_

She can easily see through Reiner's lies, but now isn't the time to talk about it. Neither is she capable. The girl is far from a therapist or psychologist, after all, but she can't help but worry for her friend. 

"Oh, Miss (y/n) and... Braun." Porco greets the two, hesitating when his eyes land on Reiner.

"Nice to see you again, you two." Pieck adds, looking as tired as ever.

(Y/n) nods to both of them, "I see you two are also well. That's a relief."

It was evident that there's some tension between the two men, and the Tybur quickly picked up on it after seeing their interactions. From what (y/n)'s heard, Marcel sacrificed himself to save Reiner and crew from a Titan during their mission on Paradis Island. And now, Porco blames the Armored Titan wielder for his brother's death.

But it's not like she holds Porco in the highest regards, either. The girl happened to overhear him talking bad about his predecessor sometime after they first met. She's confronted him about it, so he now refrains from doing so. Well, at least in front of her.

"Gabi said you're going home with us. Is that true?" The Cart Titan's user asks.

"Yeah, I'll be tending to those who don't have family to take care of them."

"You're really too kind to us." Porco mutters, "You can take a break and just relax from the luxury of your house, you know. Just like the rest of your family."

(Y/n) stares at him for a while, before a smile grows. "Mr. Galliard, you really seem to resent my acts of kindness."

"Huh?"

"Do you really hate me that much?"

"Th-that's not-"

"Or could it be that you think I'm only doing these things for show? How cruel!" She brings her hands to her face, pretending to weep into them.

"No! I never meant it that way! I'm just saying you shouldn't work too hard...!" The man panics, waving his hands around as he's unsure of how to deal with the situation. "C-Calm down, now..."

Lifting her face from her hands, the lady reveals a grin. "Just kidding!"

Porco let's out an exhausted breath. Everyone can basically see his soul leaving his body.

"Please don't do that again, Miss (y/n). I can get in serious trouble for upsetting you." He pleads.

(Y/n)'s light-hearted expression falls at his words. "That's right... Sorry. I kind of forgot about that."

_'No, I completely forgot about it. While I do have the opportunity to live with high esteem and luxury, there are rules I must follow, and those around me are under strict surveillance. I have to be careful with how I act.'_

\- - -

"YEAH!"

The muffled but ever so loud cheering of the soldiers in the next car bring (y/n) out of her doze. Opening her eyes, she relishes in the wind of the moving train while watching the scenery pass by, before pushing herself away from the open window.

"Sorry, (y/n), but could you close the window?" Zeke asks from across her. The woman nods. "Thanks."

Closing it, she wraps her coat tighter around her body before leaning over the table.

"By the way, thanks for convincing your family to agree with our plan. It would've been a harder task without you."

Eyeing up at him, (y/n)'s gaze lazily trails elsewhere as she quietly replies, "It's nothing much. I'm sure you guys would've gotten it done one way or another, even without me."

Yawning, she then continues with her sleep. Her eyes grow heavy, and the sounds of the train and people celebrating slowly fade out, before her vision finally goes dark.

...

**_Her eyes slowly open, waking up and readjusting herself into a seated position. Looking around, the teen doesn't recognize her surroundings, but notices the vast blue ocean through a nearby window._ **

**_The sound of a door opening interrupts the girl's observing, and she turns to see a tall man with blond hair and a beard wearing glasses._ **

**_"Oh, you're awake?" He asks, acting casual. "What do you remember?"_ **

**_"The last thing I can recall is me being eaten by an ugly quadraped Titan, which likely explains why I'm all sticky still." She answers with distaste._ **

**_The man chuckles at the statement._ **

**_"And you are?" (Y/n) questions him back, her voice still groggy from being unconscious._ **

**_"Ah, how rude of me. My name's Zeke, and the 'ugly Titan' you were talking about is a girl named Pieck. You're already familiar with Reiner, I'm assume."_ **

**_Glancing back out the window, she opens her mouth to ask another question, but the man answers before she could say anything._ **

**_"We're in a boat right now, headed to our home, Marley."_ **

**_'Our home, huh...'_ **

**_She sighs, laying back down again. "This is ridiculous." The girl mutters under her breath as she lays an arm over her eyes._ **

**_"You're oddly obedient about your situation, Miss (y/n)." Zeke comments, still standing at the doorway._ **

**_"Well I don't have a choice, do I? Neither do I have a means of escape since I'm stuck in the middle of this goddamn ocean." (Y/n) groans, before lifting her arm up and looking at the man again. "Hey. Why did you guys take me anyway? I'm not a Titan shifter like Eren or Ymir, and I don't have any royal blood like Chri- er, Historia. So why?"_ **

**_"About that," he starts, "your last name is Tybur, correct?"_ **

**_"Yeah." She answers._ **

**_"Then it's possible that your part of the Tybur family, noble Eldians who are honorary Marleyan citizens." The blond pauses for a moment. "Did you father ever tell you anything that may have hinted he was from outside the walls?"_ **

**_She cautiously stares at him before replying, "My dad used to teach me about the world outside the walls, and the history between Eldians and the rest of the world. Though, I was a kid back then, so I didn't bother to remember every single detail since it wasn't the most exciting thing to be told." The teen lets out a pitiful laugh. "He wanted me... To help the people within the walls, and to go to the outside world and teach everyone that those living in the walls are not devils."_ **

**_"Hm... So you too?" Zeke seems to mumble to himself, but she ignores it._ **

**_Pausing, (y/n) reminisces more moments with her late father. "Well, even without that, you could tell he either had knowledge no one else had or was just really special. He funded the Titan research and the manufacturing of the omnidirectional maneuver gear. I also heard that he helped with an epidemic alongside another doctor... I never really paid much attention, but my dad was rather innovative as well."_ **

**_"Did he mention anything about travel?"_ **

**_She thinks for a second. "... All he said was that he used to travel a lot until some type of accident happened, causing him to make a stop here. It ended up in him starting a family though."_ **

**_Zeke goes quiet, seeming to ponder, before finally speaking up. "The eldest of the Tyburs enjoyed traveling, but the family had strict rules to stay out if the public's eye. Around a voyage 21 years ago, he vanished, and a search party could not be sent out for him due to the rules of secrecy... What was supposed to secure his safety ended up being his doom."_ **

**_(Y/n) stays silent._ **

**'You're wrong. My dad liked it on the island. Sure, there were Titans to worry about, but overall he was happy...'**

**_"Well, we'll see when we get there. Feel free to rest some more until we arrive."_ **

**_Zeke finally leaves, shutting the room door._ **

**_\- - -_ **

**_"To think that our brother not only went to Paradis Island, but had a surviving child while on there as well." Willy states over dinner. "Though I suppose it's expected, as he was quite the adventurous one. But, seeing as they only brought you over, then..."_ **

**_"My father is dead." The atmosphere quickly changes into that of a more serious one. Doing anything with her food but eating it, (y/n) explains, "He was killed during the breach of Wall Maria."_ **

**_The girl can feel the other Tybur family members staring at her with pity._ **

**_"Well, you won't have to worry about that here, (y/n). You're family, after all, and there's no danger of pure Titans here." The head of the family tells her with a warm smile. "Welcome home, (y/n)."_ **

**_His younger sister, who's seated next to (y/n), pats the teen's shoulder and sends another welcoming expression. "I know it may take some time to adjust, but you'll learn to like it here. Life in Marley is much better than on Paradis."_ **

**_On the outside, the Paradisian seems to be comforted, but inside, she can't stand the treatment._ **

**'Don't look at me like that, I don't need pity from people life you!** **_'_ **

**_Lifting up her head, (y/n) returns the gentle smile to everyone. "Thank you for taking me in. It'll be difficult, but I'm sure I'll adapt."_ **

**_\- - -_ **

**_The area is filled with quiet chattering as people leave and enter the train station._ **

**_(Y/n)'s decided to pay her old acquaintance a visit in his hometown, Liberio, despite immeasurable hatred forming whenever she thought of him. She just figured it was because she wanted to get some type of revenge on him, so with the help of a clueless butler, the girl managed to sneak out and find a way to meet with the man._ **

**_A faint rumbling is heard, as well as the ground shaking, causing the teen to stand up from her seat. Brows furrowed and eyes wide, she looks for the source of the sound._ **

**'What is it? Titans?! They told me I didn't have to deal with those here! I don't even have any gear!'**

**_The tremors grow louder, so she quickly searches for a way to get to higher ground as well as a sharp object, only for a loud horn to blast. (Y/n) covers her ears, falling to her knees. But nothing happens._ **

**_Opening one eye, she's greeted with a long chain of connected cars beside the platform. The girl stares at it in awe, before getting up on her feet and inspecting it. Getting close, she jumps back when parts of the wall split into two, creating a hole for people to pass through._ **

**_(Y/n) wanders back and forth on the platform before another horn is played, causing her to flinch._ **

**_Hurriedly getting in one of the carts just before the doors close, she walks around for a bit, exploring, until the vehicle suddenly jolts forward. The Tybur falls on all fours and stays there, momentarily panicking, then peeks over the chairs to see the vehicle moving._ **

**_Crawling over into a seat, she presses herself against the window as she watches the train pick up speed. Her heart races and her eyes widen._ **

**_"So fast!" (Y/n) whispers in amazement._ **

**_The train eventually reaches a stop with a sign saying Liberio in Marleyan._ **

**_Along with the many things her father taught, reading Marleyan text and basic geography was one of them._ **

**_Getting off, (y/n) watches the train leave before exiting the station and strolling around the place._ **

**'The butler told me he might be in the Warrior Headquarters. I wonder where it is... Crap, I'll have to ask someone, won't I?'**

**_"Uh... Excuse me..." She reluctantly walks up to a man, who raises a brow. "D-Do you know how I can get to the Warrior Headquarters...?"_ **

**_He then smiles. "Sure. I can take you there."_ **

**_Her eyes light up. "R-Really? Thank you so much!"_ **

**_(Y/n) happily follows him to headquarters. Taking a turn around the corner, the man pauses in an alleyway, causing her to stop as well._ **

**_"Hm? Um... This... doesn't seem like the HQ to me..." she nervously states._ **

**_The man then turns around to face her, a sinister smirk on his face. Thats when she realizes what's going on._ **

**_He charges at the girl but she narrowly dodges, kicking him in the back. The man stumbles, but manages to catch his balance and faces (y/n) again, this time bringing out a knife. She silently curses._ **

**_Once more, he runs in her direction and thrusts the blade at her. She steps aside, only to get caught up in a punch from his other arm._ **

**_The young woman hits the ground while holding her side, and before she can get back on her feet, the man kicks her onto her back before sitting on her torso._ **

**_"Did you really think a little girl like you could defeat me in a fight?" He teases from above._ **

**_Gasping for air, she spits back, "Dunno, ever thought you might be underestimating this little girl?"_ **

**_Before he could answer, the girl's legs reach up and wrap around his neck from behind. Tightening her grip, she then pulls him down and scrambles up to her feet, only to be pulled back by her skirt._ **

**'Damn this thing...!'**

**_(Y/n)'s back hits his chest and something sharp is pressed against her throat._ **

**_"You be quiet now little missy, or things may get a little violent."_ **

**_Her eyes widen as she stays still, in fear of her life._ **

**_A quiet chuckles comes from the man as she hears the unbuckling of a belt, and an idea comes to mind._ **

**_From their kneeling position, (y/n) swiftly lifts up her heel, aiming for right between his legs. He lets out a stiffled groan, letting the woman go._ **

**_"You fucking bitch!"_ **

**_She scurries away, running out of the alley as fast as she could, only to bump into someone._ **

**_"Oh! Sorr-"_ **

**_"Get back here you whore!"_ **

**_Flinching, the girl hides behind the large figure._ **

**_"What's going on here?" They ask, but her eyes widen, recognizing the deep voice._ **

**_"It doesn't matter. Just hand the girl over! She assaulted me!"_ **

**_"Lies! You did it first!" (Y/n) yells from behind her shield._ **

**_"Just look at the way she's acting! Girls behaving like that should be taught a lesson or two, right?" He attempts to reason._ **

**_"May I ask why you're carrying a knife, then?" The man before her questions. "Punishment or not, you shouldn't be using violence to discipline. It's against the law." The one chasing after (y/n) freezes._ **

**_"I-I already told you, it doesn't matter, you damn Eldian!"_ **

**_"Lady (y/n)!"_ **

**_"Huh?"_ **

**_"'Lady?!'" Said teen turns around to see the guards from the estate running toward them._ **

**_"Lady (y/n)! Are you alright?!"_ **

**_Using this as a chance to get rid of the criminal, (y/n) points to him and shout, "He's chasing me with a knife!"_ **

**_A couple of the guards then tackle him to the ground, apprehending him. She watches it all go down, still behind the other man, and sticks her tongue out as the criminal is escorted away. He struggles even more at the childish act, but his efforts are futile._ **

**_"Thank you for protecting Lady (y/n), Chief Braun!" One approaches the two, saluting with an open hand._ **

**_Reiner does the same, glancing down at the young girl._ **

**_The guard then faces (y/n) and grabs her by the shoulders. "What were you thinking, going out alone like that?! And now the public knows of your identity!"_ **

**_"You're the one who blurted it out for the world to hear. And I told you not to address me as 'Lady,' it's weird. Just 'Miss' is fine."_ **

**_"Whatever. Let's head back, now that this is all over."_ **

**_"Wait. I still wish to speak with Braun."_ **

**_"... Then-"_ **

**_"In private."_ **

**_"... Very well."_ **

**_Reiner takes them all to a room in headquarters, and (y/n) has the guards wait outside, making sure that nobody aside from her and Reiner can hear their conversation._ **

**_She seats herself in one of the chairs while Reiner stands by a wall across the room._ **

**_"I see you're carrying on with life as normal." (Y/n) lets out a bitter laugh, crossing her arms and staring at the floor. Remembering everything that's happened, the girl's sarcasm quickly fades. "What the hell is wrong with you? First you massacred thousands of people, then lied to those who saw you as a friend, and now, you left me alone in this foreign land! ... But here you are, with not a care in the world."_ **

**_Her eyes narrow, still aimed at the floor. "You know I hate change. Especially being put in an unfamiliar place by myself. I told you that when we found out Annie is the Female Titan. And to think I felt sorry for Bertholdt, the fact that the girl he liked was an enemy."_ **

**_The man doesn't respond, let alone even spare (y/n) a glance._ **

**_"Ah, I see. Is this part of my punishment? Before I can be a citizen of this country, I need to suffer the consequences of living within the walls?" She questions in an oddly calm tone. "But why? Why exactly is it so bad to be from there? All this time, we thought we were the last of humanity that's survived against the Titans, but it turns out not only were you living without the fear of them, but the Titans were once people themselves. You had us kill our own kind for survival! And when we were able to survive against them, you personally came to try and eradicate us!" The woman stands, "What kind of sick joke is that?!"_ **

**_She glares at him from across the room, awaiting an answer. Meanwhile, Reiner continues to stay silent for a while, until..._ **

**_"Did you come here just to complain to me?"_ **

**_"Huh?" Her expression hardens._ **

**_"If that's all you need to say, then I'll be leaving. We shouldn't be wasting time."_ **

**_Another short laugh escapes the girl's mouth, this time of disbelief. "Ha! Of course you'd say something like that. I don't know what I was expecting of you."_ **

**_"If it makes you feel better, you'll likely forget about me if we don't meet for long enough." He states as he makes his way to the door. But as he passes his former comrade, a hand instinctively reaches out and holds onto his sleeve, keeping him from leaving._ **

**_"Don't go." A barely audible choice whispers._ **

**_Reiner stops in his tracks, the two of them facing away from each other._ **

**_"It's funny. Every time I think of you, I'm reminded of just how much I should hate you... But at the same time, I don't want to be alone, and even if everything on Paradis was just an act, you're the only person I can trust." (Y/n) confesses, "It's stupid, don't you think? I'm just a walking contradiction. I hate you yet I can't help but rely on you."_ **

**_They both stand still in the silence, the room being filled with mixed emotions after what the girl had just said._ **

**_"Hey. Take a seat, won't you?"_ **

**_The man does as she says, walking over and sitting in a chair. (Y/n) returns to her seat as well, avoiding eye contact._ **

**_"I originally thought that I wanted to see you so I could use you as a punching bag, but I can't possibly do that. Not after you helped me out of that situation earlier." She explains. "By the way, I never thanked you for that, did I?"_ **

**_"One of your guards did." He tells her._ **

**_"Idiot, that was my guard." (Y/n) comments jokingly before saying, "But yeah, thanks."_ **

**_Silence fills the room yet again as she waits for Reiner to say something, but nothing comes out of his mouth._ **

**_He's rather quiet compared to how he acted as a soldier on Paradis, but the Tybur figured that's just how much his real personality differs from the facade he put on._ **

**_"When you protected me there, that man, he called you an Eldian, as if it's some type of insult... Is it... really that bad to be an Eldian?"_ **

**_Reiner seems to hesitate. "... It's a long story."_ **

**_Humming, (y/n) says, "My uncle is sending me off to a boarding school for about a year or so to learn about the history and culture of Marley, as well as etiquette and mannerisms. I remember the family was quite shocked when I almost threw up eating their food. After all, we didn't eat much seafood in the walls." She laughs, images of their surprised expressions reappearing in her mind. "So maybe I'll learn about this so-called 'long story' there."_ **

**_"You can't just study at home?"_ **

**_The woman chuckles, shaking her head. "The Tybur residence is apparently confidential information, so only a select few are allowed to visit. Hence why I'm talking with you here." Sighing, she adds, "I'll have to take on a new identity though, which is bothersome."_ **

**_The light hearted moment of hers soon ends though, as she finally prepares to leave._ **

**_"I can't exactly forgive you for what you've done, but if what Bertholdt said was true, then maybe I'll come to understand your actions." (Y/n) mutters, walking to the door and opening it. But before she exits, the girl stops. "Rumors are spreading that Marley lost the Female and Colossal Titans. It's possible that other nations may try to take advantage of that."_ **

**_Looking back to Reiner, she sends an old smile. One she used when she still resided in the walls._ **

**_"I plan to stop by again before you leave, but I might get grounded for the stunt I just pulled. So..._ **

**_Don't die on me, okay?"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: uhm... this is my first time publishing on Ao3, so I apologize if some stuff seems wonky ^^;


	3. Chapter 3

The town is silent as the Eldians return to Liberio. Surrounding Marleyans glare at the soldiers, only to noticeably change expressions upon a certain Tybur's appearance.

"It's Miss (y/n) Tybur!" They whisper amongst each other.

"Miss (y/n)!"

"What is she doing with them?"

"She shouldn't be so close. Those Eldians may taint her with their filthy blood."

Head down low, (y/n)'s eyes are wide in response to the hushed insults to the Eldians, but she quickly suppresses her rage and frustration.

_'Do they forget that the oh-so-noble Tybur family is of Eldian descent too? If they're going to generalize, they should leave no exceptions.'_ She thinks to herself, not understanding their actions. 

Taking a deep breath, (y/n) resumes walking behind the homecoming soldiers, when she hears her name called.

"Miss (y/n)! A word, please!"

Stopping in her tracks, the woman turns around to see a few men with notepads on them while others had cameras. Journalists, she presumes.

"Yes? You wish to speak with me?" She waits for them to approach her.

"How are you today, Miss (y/n)?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you."

"As you may know, our army has declared victory against the Mid-East Allied forces. What are the Tybur's thoughts on this?"

"Of course we are all glad to hear this news, and are proud of our brave soldiers. For four long years did they persevere against the Middle-East. We now wish them a successful recovery, as well as a rightfully earned rest." The lady answers with the expression she always wears when being observed by the public.

"With so many nations against us and the threat of Paradis Island, what is the next move for our country?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say."

"Why is it that you're following the Eldians to Liberio?"

"I'm going to be helping the doctors and nurses take care of those who have no relatives to assist them."

"Miss (y/n), some may say that the Eldians are undeserving of such acts. What is your response?"

The girl hesitates.

_'These people are really open about their opinions, huh?'_

"Regardless of whether the soldiers are Eldian, Marleyan, or from an opposing country, I believe they should all be treated as human beings," The woman claims, "because that's what they are. While I understand the stigma around Eldians, we must remember that it is all in the past, and that they have no control over what their ancestors did. The Eldians are aware of what happened between them and the Marleyans in history, and they acknowledge it with regret."

Pausing, (y/n) watches as the journalists write her words down, then glance up to the surrounding Marleyans, who are also listening intently.

"Do not forget that the Tybur family is also Eldian. We may have been the first to rebel against the Eldia Empire, but that doesn't change the fact that the same blood flows within our veins as those who live in the internment zones." She says with pride. "Holding grudges and discrimination will not do anything in our favor, but divide us more. So I ask of everyone to not label people as Eldian or Marleyan, but to see others as humans, and as brothers and sisters."

Caught up in her soliloquy, (y/n) finishes to wide eyes and silence. Even some of the reporters have halted their writing. 

Unable to handle such a vague reaction, she then excuses herself. "I shall be taking my leave, now."

_'I shouldn't say too much. That's for uncle Willy to do after the festival.'_

"Wait!"

"Miss (y/n)!"

(Y/n) rushes through the gates of Liberio, which are narrowly opened so that only she can enter. Once she's on the other side, the guards quickly shut them, leaving the journalists to shout more questions from outside.

The woman internally sighs. _'I'll never get used to how much social interaction I have to endure as a Tybur.'_

Watching everyone reunite with their families induces a warm feeling inside her, and (y/n) can't help but smile. 

But another part of her is pained at this altered version of a familiar scene. 

_'Why is it that they get to happily return to their families from outside the country, while we come back with less than what we left with on Paradis? ... No, I shouldn't be thinking this.'_

She shakes her head, emptying such thoughts from her brain. From the corner of her eye, (y/n) notices Falco helping the fallen soldiers by the hospital and make her way there.

"I've got this, Falco." She tells the boy whilst helping him prop up a man missing half of his leg. "You should go back with your family and rest."

"It's fine, Miss (y/n). I don't mind helping." The kid insists.

"But..."

"Besides, I kind of don't want to deal with my brother's hangover right now."

A look of surprise is on the girl's face before she giggles. "All right, I suppose I could allow it."

\- - -

Entering one of the rooms in the hospital, (y/n) closes the door behind her. "I got your letter. How did you manage to mail it out of here?"

"A kid did it for me." The patient answers, sitting in his bed and staring out the window.

The woman raises a brow in curiosity before brushing it off. "So these are the final plans?" She asks, holding the piece of paper up.

"Unless there's any more news that came up, then yeah."

"There's nothing new as far as I'm concerned. At least, nothing that will hinder this plan." She tells him, sitting down in a chair by the bed.

The man goes quiet, silently turning to the Tybur, his emerald eyes adding an intensity to his gaze.

"I was watching the Warrior candidates' training and happened to overhear that the military plans on launching another attack on Paradis. It's likely to be after the festival, though." The lady answers, her gaze dropping. "... Sorry it's not anything too useful, like anything about the War Hammer. My aunt barely uses her power, so I know close to nothing about it."

The patient's eyes wander before he holds out his hand.

The patient's eyes wander before he holds out his hand.

"Give me the letter."

(Y/n) passes the sheet to him and he then scribbles a note onto the back.

"So other than this, everything's according to plan."

"Yeah." She answers in a low voice. "The military officials will be seated on the stands to the right of the stage and Willy will be giving a performative speech. While that's happening, I'll be in the center crowd and his younger sister will be standing backstage. She holds the War Hammer Titan."

"Then an ally will appear as your cue, and you'll leave to put on your maneuver gear." The man gives her the updated letter and pauses his talking for a second. "How is your gear going?"

"I'm just about done. Unfortunately, I don't have anywhere to do a practice run." (Y/n) sighs.

"You'll be fine. You're more than familiar with the old model and got the blueprint sent to you, after all." He reassures the girl in a flat tone.

"I'm curious to what the new model is like..." Leaning back in the chair, she close her eyes. "So... How was it?"

Silence.

"... What kind of question is that?"

"Well what else am I supposed to say?"

"How about 'How are you? Are you okay?'"

"Geez well I'm sorry I still can't talk." The lady huffs before opening her eyes and glancing at the soldier. "So, how are you, Eren?"

"... I've been better."

"Is that so..." Standing, (y/n) begins making her way out. "Well, isn't that everyone at this point? There's not much else to talk about, so I'll get going. I'll send the letter too, since I have security and priority mail."

"You won't regret this, will you (y/n)?" Eren questions.

(Y/n) stops at the door.

"You, me, and Reiner, we're all alike. We've infiltrated the enemy and seen good and evil in them. But what makes us different is that we keep going." He tells his ally, "I'm putting my trust in you for this plan, (y/n)."

"Yeah. I know."

'It's just a shame we didn't have a chance to talk it out.'

Closing the door, the lady starts walking to headquarters, where Willy had summoned her along with the rest of the Tybur family. She greets the guards as one opens the door, introducing the loud chaos from the children. 

Her expression grows tiresome at this.

"Ah, (y/n), you're here!" Willy walks up to his niece and gives her a hug. "You did a good job drawing attention when you arrived in Liberio."

Normally, Tybur family members remain anonymous for the most part, but because (y/n) was seen being escorted by the Tybur guards, as well as being called "Lady (y/n)," there was no point in hiding her identity any longer.

But the people of Marley seemed to take a liking to the young woman, as she openly did things and used her influence for charity. When Willy saw this have a positive effect, the girl became somewhat of a mascot for the family. She was the face of the Tybur family, and anything the Tyburs thought would be conveyed through her.

Awkwardly returning the gesture, (y/n) asks, "Why did you call for me?"

"I'm going to have a small conference with Commander Magath and I wish to introduce the family." He answers with a broad smile.

She raises a brow, knowing that wasn't all. "...And?"

His eyes wander. "And... well, I was hoping you'd help look after the children, too, while that's happening."

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" She sighs.

"Miss (y/n)!" A young girl runs up to said woman, seemingly in her early teens.

(Y/n) smiles down at her. "Fine. How are you, today?"

"I'm great. Why don't you take a seat? You must be tired from working at the hospital." She takes (y/n)'s hand and leads her to the other side of the room where the rest of the Tybur family is staying.

Seating herself, (y/n) greets the other members and pours herself a cup of tea when her younger cousin asks, "Hey, (y/n)... Have you gotten any suitors yet?" She sends me a mischievous grin.

Caught off guard, she flinches, nearly dropping the teapot and spilling some of the drink on the table. Quickly calming down, (y/n) looks at her with wide eyes.

"Wh-What makes you ask such a thing?" She trips over her words with a nervous smile.

"Well, you're of a reasonable age and have a good status. Not to mention really pretty." The girl begins to list off some reasons, but her words only fly over (y/n)'s head as she stares at the table. "So? Have you?"

"Uh, well, I have received a few offers here and there... But I've turned them all down." Her eyes wander to avoid any contact, wiping down the spilled tea at the same time. 

"Eh?! But why?!" Fine leans over toward the woman, her face shocked.

"Oh, because... I have other matters to be concerned with, you know? For example, what's to happen with Paradis Island."

Backing up, she puts a hand on her chin. "Hmm... I guess so..." Thinking for a moment, her gaze returns to (y/n). "Is there at least anyone you're interested in?"

"N-No? They weren't particularly my type..." She answers.

"Not just suitors, I meant anyone." The teen reiterates, "What is your type, anyway?"

"'Anyone,' huh...?"

(Y/n) thinks long and hard, but for whatever reason, the first person to pop up in her head was someone tall... and blond... with golden eyes... really built too... is the Armored Ti-

_'Wait, why am I thinking of him? He's a traitor!'_

Meanwhile, Fine is staring curiously at her cousin's frozen state. Some time passes, but (y/n) remains still, seemingly pondering.

"Hello?" The former waves a hand. No response.

She then scoots closer, leaning in and waving her hand closer to her cousin's face. But the close proximity allows her to feel the heat coming from her cousin's face, leading her to the conclusion that...

"No way!" Gretta yells, " _The_ (y/n) Tybur, who always keeps her composure, is blushing?!"

"Huh?" (Y/n) reaches up to her own face, feeling her cheeks warming up. "Y-You're wrong... I-I'm not...!"

"You totally are!"

"It's just hot in here, okay?! Or maybe I got sick from working so much..." She makes up excuses for her flustered state.

"Stop lying! Tell me who it is!" She shakes (y/n) by the shoulders.

"What's going on?"

The twins, younger than Fine, run over to see the commotion happening between their sister and her.

"(Y/n) has a crush!" The girl grasping her shoulders teases.

"I do not...!"

"It's probably one if the Warriors. She always hangs out with them." One guesses

"Nu-uh! I heard she's meeting with one of the people in the hospital a lot." The other disagrees.

(Y/n)'s jaw drops at these assumptions. _'Eren?! As if I'd like a reckless brat like him-!'_

Next thing she knew, the two were tackling each other on the furniture.

_'WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!'_

"Hey, calm down you two! This is nothing to fight over!" (Y/n) scolds. Fine and she each grab the twin closest to them, restraining the two.

"Stop it! You're gonna make a mess!" The girl struggles to apprehend one. Almost escaping, she gets on her knees and reaches over in an attempt to get a better hold of him, but results in the whole couch tipping over.

"Woah!"

"Oof!"

Laying on the floor, the young twins free themselves and run off.

(Y/n) lets out an exhausted sigh before glancing over to see Magath in the room, watching everything go down. Releasing a surprised squeak, she quickly gets up and makes herself decent, then heads over to him and Willy.

"Commander Theo Magath! It's nice to see you again. I apologize for what you just had to witness." The lady greets him, shaking his hand.

"Not at all, Lady (y/n)."

"Miss (y/n) is fine." She informs him of her preferred title with a smile.

"You two have met before?" Willy asks, his eyes alternating from his niece to the commander.

"Um... The second time I left without your permission... It was to see the soldiers off before war." She replies, her voice growing quieter as she looks away.

"Ah, is that so..."

The woman wasn't exactly lying, but she wasn't telling the entire truth, either. She would visit the hospital base a couple times a year, masking her trip as a vacation. Magath agreed to keep (y/n)'s secret since she volunteered to patch up the soldiers.

"Her visit was much appreciated." Magath comments, "She gave needed words of encouragement to the soldiers just before we left."

(Y/n) bashfully rubs the back of her neck. "I-I wouldn't say it was needed, I'm sure they would've been just fine without me... But I just thought that it would be nice to have support shown in some way..."

Magath looks down at the young woman with a warm smile. "Well, either way, thank you for your support."

Taken a back for a bit, she stares with slightly wide eyes before nodding. "It was my pleasure."

\- - -

A basket in hand, (y/n) strolls out of the hospital and starts making her way to the Warriors HQ. Before she could even see them, the sound of familiar kids shouting can be heard from a distance. 

Approaching the gate that separates the Eldians from the rest of Liberio, the sight of four kids running home greets the woman, their yells and laughter echoing through the street.

"What's with you brats today?" One of the gate guards asks.

"Falco finally beat Gabi!" Udo exclaims as he hops onto said boy, holding him by the shoulders. 

"Woah! That's impressive!" (Y/n) chimes in too, stopping in front of them with a smile.

"Miss (y/n)!" The children gasp. 

"You lot seem to be exceptionally rambunctious today." She comments. 

"That's because Falco beat Gabi!" Udo repeats excitedly. 

"So I've heard."

"Huh... So you're finally beating her?" The more stout officer asks, leaning against the fenced gate with crossed arms. 

Zofia answers, "Just at one foot race."

"But someone beat Gabi at something! This is a historic day!" The kid wearing glasses proclaims with glee.

"It _is_ something you don't see everyday." (Y/n) adds.

"Stop it already. I'm getting embarrassed."

Meanwhile, among everyone else's celebrating, Gabi is silently walking up behind them, a grim expression on her face.

"Pretty impressive! Guess that means you're gonna be the Armor next, kid!"

This statement sets something off in the brunette, as she picks up her pace and slams herself against Falco.

"Ow!"

"No it doesn't!" She shouts over the kid's wincing, glaring at him. "Too little, too late! You're nowhere near my level! I protected the motherland heroically on the battlefield!"

Grice watches her, rubbing his throbbing head. "... Yeah. But they haven't announced who'll inherit the Armor yet." He then begins to walk off. "I'm going to do what I have to do until that day comes, that's all."

(Y/n) lets out a whistle while one of the guards says, "Look at that swagger!"

Filled with frustration, the girl angrily stares at his slowly retreating figure, shaking. Her fuse soon runs out, though, as she bursts out yelling, "Your brother's getting the Beast, so your family will be taken care of already as honorary Marleyans! What's the point in trying so hard?!"

Falco stays still at first, clenching his teeth, but his shoulders stiffen as he finally turns around with pink dusting his face. "I'm doing this for you!"

The Tybur just silently stands with wide eyes, a hand over her mouth while a couple of the others make their own tiny comments. 

"Woah..."

"He totally said it!"

It takes a moment for Gabi to comprehend what came out of the boy's mouth just now, but she eventually gives her delayed response.

"Hah?! So you're trying to get in my way because I don't know what's good for me?! Huh?! That doesn't make any damn sense!"

Embarrassed not only for confessing his motives, but because the girl didn't understand it at all, Falco then runs off without a word.

"Ah, wait! Falco!" (Y/n) reaches an arm out, but the kid is already far away, seemingly unfazed by the training he just went through. The lady sighs. "Well, I guess I can give it to his brother."

"Ah, she didn't get it..."

"What's is problem?! What gives?!" Gabi puts her hands on her hips.

Turning to face the remaining three Warrior candidates, the woman hands each a paperbag from her basket. "Here, take these. I made some baked goods for the patients at the hospital and saved some for you guys. Share them with your family, okay?"

Their faces light up at this as they open the top to look at what's inside. 

"By the way, where are the Warriors and Colt?" She inquires of their whereabouts.

"They were still at HQ when we left, so they might still be there." Zofia replies, closing her bag back up again.

(Y/n) nods. "All right, I'll make sure to check there. You kids get home safe, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Thanks for the food!"

The children wave goodbye as they walk into the internment zone. (Y/n) waves back at them, but can sense the gazes of two men eyeing her basket. Facing them, the guards quickly avert their eyes, pretending to have done nothing, to which the woman sighs at. She rolls her eyes. "Don't think I forgot about you."

She hands them both bags of bread and other baked items. "I snuck in some good meat in there too, so don't tell anybody." The girl whispers to them, winking.

They grin.

"You really know how to spoil people huh, Miss (y/n)?"

"If you weren't of such a high status I would've noogied you!"

Laughing, the woman takes her leave as well, waving the two men off before going to Headquarters.

...

**_"Oof!"_ **

**_(Y/n) is slammed against the dirt with a thud, gasping for air. "You're... Really good at this. Who taught you?"_ **

**_"My dad. And judging from how you fight, you're rather inexperienced. Your stamina isn't bad, though." Her opponent responds, tucking some of her blonde hair behind her ear before reaching an arm down._ **

**_The girl on the ground groans, taking hold of her hand. "I won't deny it..." She winces as she goes to stand, the soreness causing her to sit back down. "Damn... You really hit something there, Annie."_ **

**_"Sorry about that."_ **

**_"No, no, it's fine." (Y/n) waves it off while rubbing her back. "But, if you really want to make it up, how about you teach me some of your techniques?"_ **

**_Her sparring partner looks down at her for a moment before replying, "That's a first."_ **

**_"Huh?"_ **

**_"I just thought that you'd rather spend your free time sleeping, seeing as you take naps during breaks and even class. It's almost a miracle that you know all the answers." Annie tells her._ **

**_(Y/n) hums. "You're not wrong, but... I can only keep this up for so long. Soon enough, I'll get left behind." She calmly states before adding, "Not to mention it'll be a useful skill."_ **

**_The blonde's bored eyes wander elsewhere. "Hand to hand combat barely affects our final grade, so you don't have to worry so much about it."_ **

**_"That's too bad." The former sighs, catching on to her indirect refusal._ **

**_"If you're still hurting, I'm going to get some water."_ **

**_(Y/n) nods, letting her go while remaining on the ground. Nodding back, the girl then turns to leave._ **

**_Just as the blonde is walking off, a certain pair is staring at her as she passes through the training grounds._ **

**_Annie's eyes scan the area, making sure she doesn't draw Shadis' attention when a certain tall blond stands in her way. She stops in her tracks, looking up at the teen before her._ **

**_"Not too fond of the instructor's headbutts?" He asks arrogantly, "If you don't want to shrink any further, recall the time you first came here and show some effort."_ **

**_"Hey, what'd you say that for?" His brunette friend questions, walking up to the two of them._ **

**_Meanwhile, (y/n) can literally sense the anger emitting from the petite girl. Directing her attention to wherever the aura is originating from, she sees two boys from their division confronting Annie, the taller one sneaking up behind his partner and putting his hands on his shoulders._ **

**_"Well then, we're starting, Eren."_ **

**_Eren's eyes widen as he's pushed toward the girl. "M-Me?"_ **

**_Annie gets into position while her opponent holds a wooden dagger._ **

**_"Annie, you know what to do, right?" The brunette asks before charging, "Here I come!"_ **

**_Before he could make a move, the blonde quickly kicks him in the shin, causing him to trip over and fall._ **

**_"Wh-What? She kicked my leg?" Standing back up, Eren's affected leg seems to give out under him and make him hiss._ **

**_"Can I go now?" Annie questions with a flat tone._ **

**_"Not yet! It's not over until you pick up the dagger." The other boy pushes._ **

**_She sighs, looking over her shoulder to Eren, who's managed to get back on his feet. He begins to panic, though, as the girl approaches him again._ **

**_"Wait Annie! I'm telling you there's a method to this!"_ **

**_She easily takes care of him, grabbing his head and kicking him off of his feet from behind. He lands on his shoulders, legs sprawled out over his head while the girl successfully walks off with the dagger. (Y/n) whistles at this, watching the whole thing go down from her spot._ **

**_The other teen stares at his friend's limp body before Annie tosses the fake weapon over. "Here." Tucking her bangs back again, she then asks, "Next is your turn to attack, isn't it?"_ **

**_"N-No, I..."_ **

**_"Do it, Reiner." A voice speaks up from below. There, Eren is staring up at Reiner with an intense expression. "You're showing her the responsibility soldiers bear, right?"_ **

**_The blond male looks back up to Annie, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Yeah. There are times when a soldier can't retreat. Now's one of them."_ **

**_Barely a second later, Reiner is put into the same position as Eren, laying there in defeat._ **

**_(Y/n) rolls her eyes, shaking her head while smiling._ **

**'Idiots.'**

**_"Slacking over here, are we, Tybur?!"_ **

**_"N-No, sir!"_ **

...

"Miss (y/n)?"

Snapping out of her flashback, the lady takes notice of Colt's hand waving in front of her while the other Warriors are strolling up to them.

"Oh, you guys..."

"What were you staring at just now?" The older Grice questions, glancing behind him to the open training grounds.

She laughs it off. "Don't mind that, I was just deep in thought is all."

"Is that so..."

"What brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?" Pieck asks as she stops beside the woman.

(Y/n)'s eyes grow at this, remembering her reason for visiting. "Oh yeah! About that..." She holds out her basket, which contains five remaining paper bags. "Thank you for your service."

The group of Eldians eye the basket.

"Ooh, how generous of you, Miss (y/n)." Zeke marvels at the food as they all take one bag. Well, all but one.

Reiner is standing in the background, watching his colleagues accept the gesture before silently walking off. This doesn't go unnoticed by (y/n), though.

"Reiner, do you not want some?" She takes a few steps toward him. The blond just stays silent. She averts her gaze with a small and unsure smile. "You don't have to take them if you really don't want to, but... I did make them just for you all... And I'd hate for them to go to waste."

The other Warriors stiffen, oblivious to her guilt tripping.

"Ah, look what you did now, Reiner." The Beast Titan's holder comments half-heartedly.

Porco runs up to (y/n), snatching the brown paperbag out of the woman's hand and yelling, "He'll take them!" before shoving it into the Armor's chest. With a finger jabbed against Reiner's upper abdomen, he hisses, "I'm only giving them to you because I know she'll be disappointed if you don't take it. Now don't waste her efforts!"

The Tybur giggles behind a hand. "I'm glad. Take good care of yourself, okay?"

Reiner stares down at her before looking elsewhere. "Yeah."

They all begin leaving when (y/n) calls out, "Oh, wait Porco! Could you stay here a bit longer?"

Said man pauses in his tracks, gazing over to the woman from over his shoulder. "Sure. Why?"

"I want to study your Titan some more." She smiles.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: don't mind this, just some possible outfit inspirations/references for this chapter if anyone would like to see :)**

<https://pin.it/2NiAZa6>

As music echoes throughout the theater, the audience stands up for a round of applause, cheering on all the actors as they come up on stage and bow. 

(Y/n) is included in this, as well as her younger cousin, Fine, and her Aunt Lara. 

"Bravi!" People yell over the blaring claps. 

Soon, the production comes to a close, and everyone makes their way out, the venue becoming full of chatter. 

"Well? How was your first musical?" (Y/n) asks the blonde girl as they exit the building, Lara silently walking beside the two. 

"It was amazing! Everything was just perfect!" Fine answers enthusiastically, clinging onto the woman's hand. "But I don't get why Christine would choose Raul. If I was in her place, I would have chosen the Phantom over him any day." 

The former let's out a brief giggle. 

"Maybe she just didn't feel the same way he did for her." Their aunt jumps in, her manners being as poised as ever. 

"That may be so. He _did_ get mad when they got engaged and tried to force his feelings on her." (Y/n) agrees. 

The youngest turns her head between the two adults. "But did you see what happened to him when he was younger? He was lonely!" 

Sighing, the woman replies, "Yes, and I acknowledge that with sympathy, but that doesn't excuse his actions. That man killed people for not performing operas they way he wanted them to and committed attempted murder because the woman he loved got married to someone else!" 

"You should keep those same beliefs with the Eldians, then." Fine gives her the side eye. 

"Fine, you know we're Eldians too." (Y/n) says, disappointed that the topic was brought up now, of all times. 

"My point still stands. Besides, we're different." 

She sighs again, bringing her free hand to her head. "That's different. The Eldians can't control what their ancestors have done. Meanwhile, the Phantom committed those crimes himself and on his own accord." Turning her head to the side, the woman quietly adds, "Not to mention for questionable reasons, but I digress." 

"Now, now, ladies. Let's not get so worked up." Lara interrupts the conversation before it could turn into a more involved argument. "This is our night out, remember? We should be enjoying ourselves." 

"That's right! (Y/n), stop being so mean to me and my man!" Fine puffs her cheeks at her cousin. 

Said woman's eyes grow. "Eh?! Why am I getting the blame?! And Fine! You're too young for him!" 

"Not if it's true love! Age is just a number!" She dramatically rests a hand on her forehead. 

"Yeah, and so is the police when I call them." 

The blonde gasps. "You wouldn't dare!" 

"It's not my fault you're giving him undeserved pity points." 

And with that, the tense debate quickly turns into playful bantering between the two girls. Watching this, Lara can't help but chuckle behind a hand. 

"Oh yeah, you two are leaving with father to the internment zone tomorrow, right?" 

"Yes, what about it?" The brunette responds. 

"Nothing, it's just... Why can't we go?" Fine lowers her head, her voice growing quieter toward the end before lifting it back up. "He isn't in trouble, is he?" 

Looking down at her, (y/n)'s expression softens. 

"Of course not. But I don't think you'd find his speech all too entertaining." She replies. 

"Not even the festival?" 

The woman hesitates. "Well, you can still attend without going with us, but it will be past your curfew by the time your dad gets on stage." (Y/n) reasons with the girl, "And he'll be preparing all day for tomorrow's gathering, as well as his speech the day after. I don't think he'd want to bring his family, only to neglect them." 

"I guess so..." Fine trails off. 

Leaning down to the young girl, Lara smiles. "There's no need for you to worry, Fine. This is just like any other business trip your father had before." 

Despite this being a lie, the lady just needed something to calm her niece's nerves. Who knows what may happen if she manages to sneak in out of suspicion. 

"Ah, is that so?" The girl's expression brightens upon hearing this. "I'm glad to hear that."

\---

(Y/n) stands at the sink, furiously scrubbing into a plate before setting it aside to dry, then continuing with the next dishes.

"What is Miss (y/n) doing here?"

"Shouldn't she be in the banquet hall with the other guests?"

"She's... Really good at cleaning..."

"I'm gonna lose my job now because of her."

Willy had the girl attend the party with him, but wanted her to go before he arrived. 

_'Clearly he doesn't understand just how much I despise large social gatherings like this. '_

So to cope, (y/n) went to the kitchen and started to help with washing the dishes. 

This is actually how she's been keeping her mind busy the past four years, by cleaning whatever she can. Especially if the woman ever felt homesick. It reminds her of home, and how her captain would make them clean everything until it was literally spotless. 

Sure, it's not the best memory, but she figured that it's probably the closest she'll ever be to home for now. And for once, she doesn't mind it too much. She actually found some entertainment from seeing the servants' reactions.

Carrying on with washing the dishes, some servants watch the lady while others continue doing their job. 

"Hey, can someone take these and dry them off? I'm losing space here." (Y/n) requests.

"R-Right, of course!"

A few of the staff come over with towels and a cart, hurriedly wiping the water off of the dishes before placing them on the wheeled table. Whenever the tray on the cart was full, they'd wheel it off and then return with another empty one. 

The door suddenly slams open.

"Excuse me! Is (y/n) here?"

Immediately recognizing the voice as Willy's, (y/n) keeps her back to him, hiding her face in hopes of being left alone.

"(Y/n), I know it's you. You're literally the only one in this room wearing a fancy dress."

Giving up, the woman sighs, turning around. "Y-Yes...?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Willy also sighs while shaking his head before walking up to her. "I had you go before me so you could introduce yourself to the guests and socialize, and when I arrived everyone told me they never saw you. Now I find you here _washing dishes_?"

"I've told you before, uncle, I'm not particularly fond of large events such as this. No matter how much I'm taught to publicly speak, I can only handle so much." Her head held low, (y/n) turns back around and keeps washing dishes.

Her uncle goes quiet for a second, his slightly irritated expression falling upon realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry, (y/n). I put you in an uncomfortable situation on your own, knowing full well that you didn't like it." He apologizes to the lady before going on. " You don't have to speak too much, but I'd at least like to introduce you to some friends of mine."

Listening to what he has to say, (y/n) stops her chores and exhales, wiping her hands.

"All right. I can do that." She quietly agrees, turning around to face Willy.

He smiles, then takes her hands. "I'm really proud of you, (y/n). You've truly grown since you first came here." The man then hesitates, which piques the girl's interest for what he's about to say next. "If... Something were to happen to me, I'd like for you to be the new head of the Tybur family. You've proven yourself more than worthy of the role, with your genuine kindness toward everyone. You're someone who Marley deserves, someone who will truly care for the nation."

Her eyes widen at his little speech as she looks up at him in shock. "Uncle Willy... Why are you saying this?"

The blond's eyes wander. "Tomorrow night will be very risky for me and whoever decides to attend the gathering. It's possible that it may end in my passing."

It takes a moment, but (y/n) eventually responds.

"I understand. I'll accept my position as your successor."

"Thank you."

_'Well, there's no point in worrying about empty promises now. In 24 hours, this show will come to an end.'_

Exiting the kitchen, Willy leads the two of them to where a few of his acquaintances are standing, talking amongst each other. 

"My apologies for the wait, friends. My niece doesn't do too well in large crowds of important people such as this party." He tells them as they approach.

"So this is the (y/n) Tybur we've been hearing about."

"She's quite the young lady."

Quickly glancing to her uncle, (y/n) steps up and reluctantly introduces herself. "Good evening, it's nice to meet you all."

"Oh my, she's shy! How adorable!" A lady gushes at the young woman's quiet demeanor.

"I'm glad you find such a trait endearing, but please refrain from treating me like a child." (Y/n) requests of her, making sure shd don't come off as too harsh. Because that's how the world views her. Sweet little (y/n) who's too nice for this world. 

The only people who are aware of the woman's true self are the Warriors, but even they have grown used to her kind facade at this point.

Willy's friends go silent, looking at each other, before smiling, laughing amongst themselves.

"Of course."

"She sure knows what she wants."

"(Y/n)." Another voice calls out to her. "Willy has told us about what you've been doing, he's really proud of you. With due time, you'd make a great leader."

She gives a small smile, shaking her head. "What I'm doing is nothing compared to others, especially if we're talking about leaders."

A man raises a brow. "Miss (y/n), do you know of such a person?"

Glancing back to her uncle, (y/n) says, "Well, aside from my very talented uncle," which brings up some laughter, "there is one person that comes to mind."

The older adults stay quiet, listening.

"He wasn't respected by others for the most part. After all, his actions and decisions resulted in countless deaths. Many thought him and his unit were just useless suicidal maniacs feeding off of their taxes." The girl speaks fondly of the man, reminiscing these memories from four years ago. "But he made sure the sacrifices he made weren't in vain, and continued to pursue the truth. Even after death, he continued to influence his cadets, leading them to many discoveries and advancements. Their job is not done yet, though, as they draw closer to victory and confront their enemy."

"(Y/n), who is this you are speaking of?" Somebody questions, causing her to flinch.

Unprepared for such a question, the young maiden begins to stutter. "Oh, he's uh... He's... A character from a book I read." She lies.

A couple of the guests nod, some taking a sip of their drinks in hand. 

"Even if he's fictional, it's a pity that he died. That man would have done much greater things had he lived longer."

"... What if he was your enemy?" (Y/n) suddenly asks, "What would you say then?"

Willy's friends fall silent again, looking down at her while she stares back with an unreadable expression. 

"W-Well, I'd still have to give him credit, no?" The man chuckles, clearly caught off guard by the question, as are the surrounding people.

She smiles, "Of course."

_'Lies. You'd call him a devil, like you have with all Eldians.'_

Feeling a light pressure on her shoulder, (y/n) glances beside her to see Willy leaning down. "You did good, (y/n). You may go now if you wish."

Nodding, she turns to those she was previously conversing with. "It was nice speaking with you all, but I think I'll be getting some food now. Thank you for your time."

They all bid her farewell as the woman takes her leave.

Walking off, she notices the four little Warrior candidates staring at a door with shocked expressions. She changes directions to go to them, leaning down and putting her hands on their shoulders. "Hey, what are you kids doing?"

They all jump and turn around to face (y/n).

"Miss (y/n)!"

Putting her hands on her hips, she grins down at them. "You shouldn't be slacking off, you know. What were you guys looking at?" She asks, looking where the four were just staring at.

"A lady saved me... Because she knew I was Eldian..." Udo mumbles, glancing back at the doors.

"Really?" She follows his gaze.

"She's probably an Oriental..." Gabi adds.

"That's likely. They _are_ the only nation that tolerates Eldians." (Y/n) comments. "Anyways, how's work been? Not too hard, I hope?"

"This is nothing compared to our training." Falco says.

"That's good to h-"

"Ah! The glasses and plates are emptying again!" The brunette exclaims, going on to push her friends. "Come on, let's go! Hurry!"

Surprised, the lady watches the girl push her three friends past her.

"G-Gabi, there's no need to rush. Everyone is probably full by now..."

"Nope! It's just like you said, Miss (y/n)! We shouldn't be slacking!" She yells back before running off. 

"But it was a... Joke..." (Y/n) sighs as she spectates, seeing them run with empty bowls and plates, and refilling glasses with various beverages.

_'Look at them. I know they're eager to inherit a Titan and to show everyone that Eldians aren't as people say they are, but they should enjoy their childhood too... Then again, we all joined the Training Corps at a similar age too.'_

A small smile appears on her face as she remembers her trainee days. When life was just slightly more carefree.

"Miss (y/n). Miss Azumabito would like to see you." 

She turns to the staff, who is waiting by a set of doors for a response. 

"Oh, is that so? Then, please tell her I will meet her in a moment." She answers.

They nod, then leave. (Y/n) closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. 

_'I... really want to just forget everything right now.'_

\- - -

"Mmm no... I don't want to go back to training..." She groans, hiding under her blanket. A loud crash then ensues, causing her to jump out of bed and salute with a fist over her heart. "I'm sorry for sleeping in, Instructor Shadis!"

A couple of seconds pass before (y/n) realizes her mistake.

She groans, treading over to the window. "What's up with all this noise?"

Opening the curtains, she finally remembers as bright colors in the distance greet her good morning. 

"Oh yeah. The festival."

_'How is the sound this loud...?'_

The girl then looks down to notice that she had fallen asleep in the dress she wore at the banquet last night. Willy used the gathering as somewhat of a precursor for what's to come later tonight, inviting his acquaintances along with several world leaders and chatting with them.

While most of what she did was observe, occasionally (y/n) would hang out with the Warrior Candidates, who were helping serve the guests, but Gabi was quick to shoo her away, claiming she was distracting them.

Imagine being called a distraction by kids. It was depressing really, since they were the only few she was willing to talk to.

(Y/n) changes out into a tan coat over a long brown skirt that falls just past her knees. Putting on some tall boots, she heads out.

"Miss (y/n)! Are you not going to eat?" A servant asks as she makes her way to the door.

"It's fine! I'll just eat at the festival!"

Exiting the building, the woman heads on over to the internment zone, where the festival is being held. The guards at the gate salute her, to which she nods in acknowledgement as she walks through. 

"Ah! Miss (y/n)! There you are!" Gabi runs up to (y/n) with a bunch of food in her hands, her face a mess. "Here! Try this!"

(Y/n) jumps back as the girl shoves a dessert up to her face. Taking it from her grasp, the woman inspects the food. It seems to be a crepe folded up in order to fit into a paper cone.

Slightly hesitant, she takes a small bite from the snack, and her eyes grow larger in surprise.

"Sweet..." she mumbles.

"Right?! Zofia, Udo, and Falco also have some more that they think you may like!" The younger Braun exclaims excitedly as said kids come over too, Reiner, Porco, and Pieck following close behind.

"R-Really?" (Y/n) stutters nervously, looking at the other three kids who had sweets with them. "That's really kind of you guys."

_'Too kind...'_

They each hand the lady a snack of their liking, to which she helplessly accepts, not wanting to turn them down and ruin their mood.

"By the way, how did you guys pay for all your food?"

The four silently look to Reiner, causing the Tybur to giggle.

"Always the reliable one, are you Reiner?" She laughs, "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go explore!"

The children run off almost immediately, forcing the adults to chase after them in order to catch up. 

(Y/n) remembers her early memories of walking through these streets.

...

**_(Y/n) briskly walks through the streets of Liberio once more, this time with people gathering around as she makes her way._ **

**'What are all these people staring for? Don't they know it's rude?'**

**_War had officially been declared against the Middle-East Allied Forces, and the soldiers in Liberio are being sent off today. Deciding yet again to go off on her own, (y/n) makes her way to the internment zone, to see them off. After all, as part of an important family, she should show that she truly cares for her nation, even if she actually doesn't._ **

**_Everyone mumbling amongst themselves can be heard._ **

**_"Did you hear? Guards of the Tybur family were looking for that woman not too long ago."_ **

**_"And they called her 'Lady (y/n),' too."_ **

**_"Does that mean she's a Tybur?"_ **

**_"I thought there were only ten members in the Tybur family."_ **

**_"They rarely go out in public, too. So why is she here?"_ **

**'Word seems to spread fast around here** **_.'_ **

**_Along the way, the girl feels a sudden tug on her skirt. She pauses and looks behind to see the culprit, her eyes widening._ **

**_A kid. His stupidly big eyes staring up at her in wonder as the woman's brow twitches._ **

**'This... This damn brat!'**

**_"Oh! I'm extremely sorry, ma'am!" A lady runs to them and picks up her child. "I should've been watching more closely. He's just a child, so please understand!"_ **

**_Her head bowed down, (y/n) stares at the two, before changing her stern expression._ **

**_"Please, don't worry about such a thing. He was just curious is all, no?" The mother looks up in what seems to be shock. (Y/n) then turns her head to the boy, smiling at him. "Hey, what's your name?"_ **

**_A finger in his mouth slightly obscures his talking, but he manages to answer, "Matthew."_ **

**_"Is that so? Well then Matthew, it's nice to meet you, but you should be careful next time okay? You could get hurt if you wander too far off from your mama." She suggests with a closed eye smile._ **

**_He shyly nods, still staring up at her._ **

**'What's with that look? Stop staring at me, all of you!** **_'_ **

**_"Good boy."_ **

**_The mother retreats back to the side of the streets, while (y/n) turns around and keeps walking. The people surrounding her are now staring with faces of awe and admiration._ **

**'How's that for a performance? Are you guys impressed, now? How naive. You're all too easy to fool, it's stupid.'** **_The lady insults them in her mind as she walks by._ **

**_Closing in towards the gates, she sees a crowd of people in white uniforms through the fencing, all wearing armbands around their left arm. The four in the front's red bands heavily contrast with the grey ones worn by the rest._ **

**_Just as she arrives, the gates open and everyone one on the other side appears confused. The one leading the lot steps up and gazes down at (y/n)._ **

**_"What's the meaning of this?"_ **

**_Immediately recognizing him as a commander of the Eldian unit, the woman says, "Commander Theo Magath, I wish you, along with the rest of the soldiers, the greatest of luck in the battlefield. These men have dedicated themselves for this country, therefore I also ask that you do not take advantage of that through unnecessary risks. May you help righteously lead our nation to victory."_ **

**_Turning to the four possessing red armbands, she then tells them, "And to my fellow Warriors, the strength of the Titans resides within you. Use this power wisely, and protect our people."_ **

**_"My apologies, miss, but who are you?" The commander asks of her._ **

**_Redirecting her attention back to him, (y/n) opens her mouth to answer when-_ **

**_"Lady (y/n)!"_ **

**_Said woman turns around to see one of the guards again as he runs up to her._ **

**_"Come now, Griff. How many times must I tell you that just 'Miss (y/n)' will suffice?" She questions in a familiar while watching him catch his breath._ **

**_"Please... Stop disappearing like that..." The guard gasps._ **

**_"I'm truly sorry for causing you so much trouble, but I must see our soldiers off. I'd like to personally show how much the Tybur family supports and appreciates them, even if it means I must go against Uncle Willy's rules for my safety."_ **

**_Magath's eyes widen, followed by everyone else upon her words._ **

**_"Then... You're..."_ **

**_"I am (y/n) Tybur, daughter of the eldest Tybur and late head of the family, Arlen Tybur." The maiden standing before them confirms._ **

**_"It is an honor to be speaking with you, as well as to receive such words of encouragement." The man takes off his helmet, closes his eyes, and lowers his head._ **

**_"As it is with I. But I'm afraid I must keep this meeting short in order to ensure you are not late. I will be looking forward to your return."_ **

**_It takes a few moments, but the Eldian unit eventually recovers from their moment of shock and leaves their hometown, marching past._ **

**_As the Warriors pass by, (y/n)'s gaze lingers on Reiner, remembering their last conversation._ **

"Don't die on me, okay?"

...

The group stops at another stand the kids were interested in. 

"Come on, you guys, you shouldn't eat so much. You'll get a stomach ache." (Y/n) scolds, then turns to Porco and Pieck. "And you two, stop leeching off of Reiner's wallet."

But it's too late, as they all are already munching away at the food. 

She lets out a sigh and glances at Reiner, whose face is grim as he looks down at his wallet.

_'Wait just how much did they eat?!'_

Reaching into her purse, (y/n) fishes out some money and gives it to the vendor.

"Keep the change!" She tells them before glancing to Reiner. "I'll pay from now on. Oh, and here."

Grabbing two more buns from the table, the young lady hands one to him, but he doesn't accept it. All he does is stare at the food, seemingly not comprehending the gesture.

"I didn't see you eat at all while I was with you guys, and I don't want you to be the only one starving, so here." She explains.

The man raises a hand. "Th-thank you, but I'm good."

Tilting her head, (y/n) asks, "Did you eat earlier?"

"Well, no..."

"Then why don't you just take it? I'm offering it to you for free." She pushes. "Here, I insist."

"And I decline." Reiner turns her down again.

"Hey, Braun! If you won't take it I'll gladly accept seconds." Porco calls out to the pair, nearly finished with his own snack.

"Oh, no worries, Pock. He'll eat it. Right, Reiner?" Glancing over her shoulder, (y/n) turns back to the blond with a threatening grin, breaking character and mentally cursing him if he doesn't.

Gulping, the man hesitantly takes hold of the treat and responds, "Y-Yeah..."

"Yay!" She cheers, returning to her sweet and kind persona as our group carries on with exploring the place. Porco raises a brow before shrugging it off.

Taking a bite out of the bread, the girl is met with a pleasant surprise as a sugary cream spreads throughout her mouth. 

_'Woah! There's custard in these?!'_

Her eyes light up as she gapes at the bun. 

One would think that by now, after four years of living in luxury, she'd be used to this type of stuff. But apparently not.

Feeling someone's eyes on her, (y/n) looks up to see Reiner gazing at her, a gentle expression on his face. Staring right back at him, she questions, "What? Do I have something on my face?"

She doesn't give the Warrior any time to answer as she immediately wipes around her mouth with the back of her hand. "Anyways, you should really try this. There's cream inside, too!"

Reiner does as the woman says and hesitantly takes a small bite out of the food in his hand. His eyes also seem to widen a bit. 

"It's good, right?" She asks excitedly.

The man gives a soft smile. "Yeah."

The eight of them keep walking, buying more goods and watching performances all around as the streets are filled with laughter.

"Woah! Look at that guy!" Gabi points to a man on stilts.

"He's so tall!" Udo exclaims while staring up at him. 

"Almost like a Titan..." Zofia mutters, her eyes wide. 

The brunette smirks. "I bet if I saw a Titan that size I'd be able to kill it, no problem." She brings her hand up, posed like a gun, and points it to the performer's neck. "Just use one of those special guns and bang! One shot, one kill!"

(Y/n) grabs onto the girl's shoulders and bends down to her height. "Come on, Gabi! Now not the time to think about that. This is a festival, so let's have some fun!" She laughs.

"Ah, careful, he's coming." Falco warns his friends.

The man on stilts walks by, so the children start backing up to make way for him when Zofia accidentally backs into a man. (Y/n) takes hold of her arm before she could fall, pulling her toward herself and standing the young girl up right, making sure she's fine.

"Are you okay?" She asks softly. The girl nods.

Facing the stranger, whose face is obscured by a fedora, the Tybur apologizes.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Are you hurt anywhere? Is anything damaged?"

"Oh, Miss (y/n)! Not at all!" He dismisses the accident. "By the way, I heard your uncle will be declaring war here later tonight. Will you be there as well?"

Smiling, (y/n) nods her head. "Of course. After all, tonight will be a very important event."

"I'll be looking forward to it, then."

With the tip of his hat, the stranger walks off, leaving the two girls.

"Hey!" Gabi runs over, along with Udo and Falco.

"Are you all right, Zofia?" The blond checks in on said girl.

Glancing back at the man, Udo looks up to (y/n) and points out, "You have really fast reflexes, Miss (y/n)."

"O-Oh, do I?" She asks, nervously scratching her cheek.

"Hey! What's taking you guys so long?" Already several steps ahead, the Warriors gaze behind them to the woman and kids, waiting for them to catch up.

"We're coming!"

Soon enough, the sun starts to set, and everyone is headed to the large clearing at the center of the internment zone. 

"It hurts..." Gabi moans, holding her stomach.

"I warned you." (Y/n) sighs while walking beside her.

"It's your own fault for being such a glutton." Reiner states, dragging his younger cousin to where Willy Tybur is to deliver his speech.

"They should just make every day a festival." The little girl smiles.

"Yeah." The blonde lowly replies.

"You know... So many things have been happening to me for the first time recently."

"Yeah."

"It's like... It feels as if something might change soon."

Reiner glances down at her, before responding once more, "Yeah... You're right."

Meanwhile (y/n)'s eyes wander off to the side upon hearing this, before landing on the ground. A single pang resonates within her heart. 

It isn't long before this game of pretend finally comes to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FSKCJZNC I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AU REINER
> 
> Like I know their personalities don't really match, but you gotta admit he'd look nice if he were dressed as the Phantom. And maybe the part behind his mask could be Titan marks instead of a scar.
> 
> IDK, I'm rambling, but hope you enjoyed! ^^


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh? Did you guys have fun?" Zeke asks, facing the bunch that had just arrived with a cigarette in hand.

Colt brings his attention to them as well, and notices the absence of his brother. "Huh? Where's Falco?"

"He said he saw someone he knew and ran off." (Y/n) answers, gently pushing Udo and Zofia forward, who were too busy admiring the whole set up.

"Really? What's the matter with him?"

Slinging an arm around Grice's shoulder, Porco grins. "Can't you just loosen up for a day?"

"So many people..." Zofia mutters under her breath, looking around the plaza in awe. Seeing the girl's reaction, (y/n) couldn't help but laugh. 

Pieck turns her head, noticing Falco in the distance. "Huh? Looks like he's back." She states.

Said kid comes running up to Reiner, shouting, "Mr. Braun!" before stopping in front of him and gasping for air. 

"Where the hell did you go?" Gabi asks, staring down at him.

Pointing a finger in a certain direction, he requests, "Can you come with me?"

"Right now?"

Zeke takes a look at his watch. "You'll be fine. It shouldn't start for a bit."

And so, the two leave, Falco leading his senior to an unknown location. (Y/n) watches them go farther and farther away, before leading the kids to their seats, the Warriors following soon after.

Sitting in front of the group of Eldians, Gabi and Zofia begin to play with (y/n)'s hair, styling it into simple designs such as braids whilst giggling to each other. As they're doing that, the lady points out different influential people within the growing crowd to Udo, as well as telling him what is to come of this Declaration of War.

Horns suddenly blare, causing the silver-haired girl to jump and cover her ears while Gabi stops braiding and gazes upwards.

"It started..." The brunette mumbles.

"Are Falco and Mr. Braun still not here?" Udo questions, scanning the plaza for any signs of them.

"Sheesh, what could they be doing?"

"Warriors of Marley." A voice cuts in. Everyone turns their attention to the source, being greeted with a tall soldier dressed in white. Their helmet shields their face, leaving only their goatee to be visible. "Commander Magath has summoned you."

(Y/n) stares up at the soldier in curiosity, before holding in a laugh. 

The others look her way, to which she responds with, "G-Gabi, your hands are still at my hair, it tickles!"

"Oh, sorry!" The girl gasps, letting go and pulling her arms back.

The soldier takes notice of the Tybur member and nods. She nods back with a smile after quickly calming down.

The three Titan shifters all stand up, Porco messing up Gabi and Udo's hair while Zeke places a hand on (y/n)'s shoulder. They then follow the soldier to wherever they've been summoned, leaving the children with Colt and (y/n).

The woman remains seated with them, listening to her uncle's speech as Gabi finishes braiding her hair again, watching the performance going on behind Willy while he talks. A certain quote from his mouth entices a reaction from the audience.

"But the truth is slightly different." The man states, "I'm referring to the memories that we, the Tybur family, have passed down, generation to generation, along with the War Hammer Titan. Today, that truth will be revealed... For the first time ever."

(Y/n), too, knew of this truth. In fact, most of the Tybur family does. They've each been informed of it at a certain age. Due to her recent arrival, she was only informed of it after being away for school.

Upon her return, they clarified everything and explained how that is what everyone is taught, and how that is why everyone holds hatred toward their kind. Especially those on Paradis.

But she didn't need them to tell her. She already knew from her father. And from her father, the girl was given the task to not only reveal the truth, but to mend the bonds between Eldians and the rest of the world.

Her exposure, though, showed otherwise.

This outside world, full of prejudice and hate, was far beyond saving.

"The truth from a century ago... Concerning the Great Titan War... Who ended the Great Titan War? Was it Helos? Was it the Tybur family?" He questions, two actors wearing blindfolds standing beside him. "... It was neither. The man to save our world by putting an end to the Great Titan War... Was King Fritz."

And at that, a spotlight shines on another figure behind Willy. The man is draped in a large cloak with a crown sitting atop his head, and he too, had his eyes covered with a cloth.

Suddenly, (y/n) holds her stomach, shaking.

"Hm? What's wrong, Miss (y/n)?" Udo worries, drawing the other's attention to her.

Glancing up at them with a pained smile, she answers, "I-I think I ate too much... Excuse me."

The woman gets up and begins to leave the area, but pauses. Turning around for a moment, she faces her friends, and says, "Thank you so much for today. I'll never forget how kind you all were to me, so please... Stay safe."

Colt and the kids watch as she slowly fades from view, taken by surprise at her sudden display of gratitude and concern. But they think nothing of it, assuming she is only retiring for the night, and return to Willy's show.

With everyone attending her uncle's performance, (y/n) now wanders through the empty streets of Liberio's internment zone. 

_ 'I'm sorry, Uncle Willy. You were kind to me and I truly appreciated it... But I cannot go along with what you are planning.' _

She then enters a dark and secluded alleyway, far from where the others are, and changes out of her clothes. 

Under her skirt and coat, the woman is clad in all black, revealing the harnesses for her ODM gear. The lady then opens a crate beside her. Inside it is the gear she had constructed herself, awaiting its first use.

She ties her braid up so that it doesn't tangle with the equipment before latching everything on. A whizzing sound soon reaches her ears, becoming louder and louder until a thud comes from deeper within the alley.

Looking to where the sound came from, a familiar figure walks out from the shadows, a neatly folded green cape in hand and some thunder spears.

(Y/n) smiles, taking hold of the fabric and admiring how it was folded in a way that perfectly displayed the Wings of Freedom right at the center.

"Thanks, Mikasa."

Said woman nods, setting the explosive spears against a wall before replying, "It's good to have you back, (y/n)."

"Yeah." The former smirks. 

Mikasa then leaps up into the air, disappearing from (y/n)'s sight.

Unfolding her cape, (y/n) swings it over her shoulders, buttoning it and pulling the hood over her head when lightning suddenly strikes, emitting a loud bang.

She quickly looks to where the lightning had struck, now the location of chaos, and adjusts the hood to hide her face and identity.

_ 'This is it.' _

Taking hold of the handles, she takes a deep breath, hoping for the best, then runs out into the open street. Two wires hook into a wall, successfully hauling the woman up into the sky. The woman picks up speed before withdrawing the anchors, and revels in her newfound freedom, closing her eyes and just feeling the wind run past her for a quick moment as she defies gravity.

By the time she opens her eyes again, the woman is upside-down, head bent back and facing below. She grapples her wires once again as she begins to fall, eventually descending onto a roof and landing with a mellow tap of her shoes.

(Y/n) looks around from her elevated position. On one side, people run from the plaza and away from Eren. On the other, a seemingly miniscule incoming zeppelin is in the distance.

Another flash of light causes the Tybur to bring her attention back behind her, where another Titan begins to form. But its transformation is quickly interrupted by a punch from the Attack Titan, sending it flying into a building.

Eren sits on top of the War Hammer's incomplete body and proceeds to beat its head with his hardened fists, only to be impaled by a large spike-like formation that drives him upwards. His Titan is displayed high above Liberio for everyone to see.

Cursing, (y/n) glances back to the zeppelin, where allies are beginning to jump off to help out. She starts making her way to Eren after seeing this, catching up to Mikasa. 

His Titan form now being decapitated and impaled, steam blows out from the nape before the holder of the Founding Titan reveals himself.

"Usurper... Eren Jaeger." The War Hammer bellows, raising its weapon. "Do you have... Any final words?"

Eren only stares back at the enemy until he quietly says, "It's time. Mikasa. (Y/n)."

From within the smoke of the battle, the two emerge, thunder spears at the ready. They fly behind and fire their weapons into the nape, soaring past the Titan, which pulls the triggers and sets off multiple loud explosions.

As this happens, others are getting rid of the anti-Titan weapons being used by the present Marleyan soldiers.

"Good... You all made it." Jaeger states while Mikasa lands next to him.

Gazing down at him with a pained expression, the black-haired woman pleads, "Eren... Please... Come home."

(Y/n), close by, hops from building to building, driving away all of the Marleyan soldiers as well.

Looking at all the devastation they've caused, Mikasa then asks of her childhood friend, "Eren... Do... Do you have any idea... What you've done? You... Killed civilians... Even children. There's no undoing this."

He just stares at her before telling the woman, "Mikasa. It's not over yet." Turning his gaze to Willy's sister, Mikasa follows his eyes, her breath hitching.

"That's impossible..."

"I saw the nape of the neck go flying. And I'd crushed the same nape more than well enough. But it's not dead." Eren states as the Titan repairs itself at a fast pace, a crossbow forming in one of its hands.

Noticing this mid flight, (y/n) changes directions to rush on over and help Mikasa with pulling Eren away, but a comrade calls her name, catching her attention.

Looking in their direction, someone passes extra thunder spears for her to catch. 

As they land in her arms, she yells out, "Don't call my name here!"

The person apologizes whilst flying off, (y/n) doing the same towards Eren and Mikasa after seeing they're fine. Landing beside the two, the brunette says, "I need you both to distract it."

"Did you discover something?" (Y/n) questions, her eyes wide.

"If this goes well... I'll be able to eat the War Hammer Titan." Eren looks up at the former with an unreadable expression.

Knowing why he's doing so, she reluctantly nods, splitting the new set of thunder spears between Mikasa and her. They each restock their weapons before jumping off the edge of the roof, heading to the War Hammer.

A sword replaces the crossbow in its hands as the two anchor their wires into nearby walls, circling the Titan. 

Evading the swings of the blade, (y/n) goes around to attack from the back once more. Securing her anchor into one of its legs, she advances, but the War Hammer seems to catch her from the corner of its eye. It turns around and raises its sword.

The woman clenches her teeth, before retracting her wires and aiming them to the ground behind her, pulling her body backwards and away from the Titan's falling weapon. She lands on her back, raising her arms and using the momentum to roll backwards onto her feet, breaking through a window on the first floor of a building.

Looking up, there's some people in the room who've decided to take shelter inside, staring at her and visibly shaking.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and get out of here!" She yells, causing them to flee.

Standing, (y/n) rushes up a flight of stairs to get to the roof, running over the edge and swinging toward the enemy.

"Mikasa!" She calls out from below. Heading in her direction, she reaches an arm out, to which Mikasa grabs while in the air. The ravenette swings her around once before letting go, throwing her comrade high into the sky.

As (y/n) soars above the War Hammer with a boost from her gas, it follows her ascending form, distracted. Mikasa uses this as a chance to shoot a thunder spear into one of its eyes.

Devastated by the blow, it brings a hand to its eye while (y/n) dives down behind her Aunt Lara, launching two spears into the backs of its knees before retreating and pulling the line. The Titan falls to the ground upon the explosion, Mikasa and (y/n) surrounding it to assess its next move.

The Titan makes another weapon, seemingly similar to an urumi sword or a whip, and swings it at them. The duo swiftly dodge it as the ends make contact with another structure instead.

Eren watches as the women avoid its attacks and plant more thunder spears into its weak spots, analyzing his opponent. His eyes take notice of a line coming from the War Hammer's foot, following it all the way down to under the remains of the stage.

_ 'The War Hammer's body... Is right there.' _

He leaps down and bites into his hand, activating another transformation.

Thrusting his hand into the ground, Eren picks up the user, who is encased in a crystal, and snaps the line. The War Hammer collapses to the ground, no longer functional. 

As he's opening his mouth to eat the shifter, the Jaw Titan sprints across the sides of buildings, leaping off and grabbing onto Eren's Titan to bite into his nape.

Hanging off the side of a building, (y/n) hisses.

_ 'I thought they were drawn away...!' _

Porco leans in to reclaim the Founder, closing his jaw... But nothing.

"What?! I can't bite through it?!" He exclaims.

The Attack Titan goes backwards and shoves the Jaw into a building, then grabs him by the hair. Struggling to escape Eren's grasp, something flies through his line of vision.

Porco's eyes widen, recognizing the figure.

_ 'Was that him just now?! Could it really have been... Ackerman?!' _

Levi flies in to deal the finishing blow, but Porco manages to scratch Eren's hand first, allowing him to run away.

Unfortunately for him, he's been surrounded, as Mikasa sends him falling with a thunder spear to the wall he's climbing on. 

(Y/n) watches from afar as allies swarm the Warrior, who remains helplessly still beneath his enemies. She can sense the fear radiating off of the man, despite Porco himself not being visible. Her brows furrow.

_ 'You seem to have forgotten... You sent Titans to our home, hoping they'd kill us all. We've lived our whole lives in fear of them. And now... Titans are a mere everyday thing!' _

_ 'These... Are the real devils of Paradis!' _

But before any harm could be done, bullets rain from across the plaza.

"The Cart Titan!"

Clicking her tongue, (y/n) retreats to take cover behind a structure, dodging bullets along the way.

"Pieck!" Porco sighs in relief.

"Shoot the enemies down... Panzer Unit!"

"Roger!"

Back at the center of all the action, Eren stares down at the Tybur family member, who does the same right back at him. His eyes trail downwards, where a new string seems to have formed and follow a path, when another War Hammer Titan appears. From it, a tree-like figure sprouts and pierces him in multiple places, keeping the Attack Titan suspended in the air, unable to move.

A smile creeps up to (y/n)'s face as she observes around the corner of a building, a mixture of amazement, disbelief, and fear. "How terrifying..."

But her moment of admiration is interrupted when everyone both hears and feels distant tremors. They all turn their attention to the origin of such tremors, and are met with the sight of the Beast Titan, slowly making an entrance.

"The Beast Titan!"

"Mr. Zeke!"

"Don't let them escape." Zeke orders through his Titan as the other two regroup around him. "Wipe them out."

Across them, Levi and the Scouts stand, ready for battle. 

"Don't die. You have to survive."

Pressing up against the wall, (y/n) equips her swords. "You guys take care of those three. I'll go back with Eren and Mikasa."

"But we barely know anything about these Titans!" Someone cries.

"Did Eren not tell you about them?" She questions.

At the shake of their heads, the woman turns around and faces them. "Then you all better listen." Pointing a finger to each Titan, she briefly informs them of their abilities.

"The smallest is the Jaw Titan. It specializes in offense, so it has incredible speed as well as extremely strong jaws and claws. That right there is the Cart Titan. Its use relies more on versatility rather than power, and as you can see, it often wears gear with people inside in order to be useful in battle. Because Marleyans are more used to fighting against humans than Titans, the artillery on that thing has a hard time aiming at higher places." 

Glancing behind her, (y/n) then points to the Beast Titan. "For those of you who don't know, the Beast Titan's most used form of offense is its throwing abilities. Zeke is fond of baseball, so his aim is pretty accurate. As long as you're not in his range of fire, you shouldn't have to worry about him." She then stands. "Although, you'd likely have figured most of this out sooner or later... Do what you will with this information, and tell others if you can."

Making sure the coast is clear, (y/n) heads on over to Mikasa, who had just fired a thunder spear into the crystal. But along the way, Porco seems to have taken notice of her, and leaps in the woman's direction. 

_ 'Shit!' _

Withdrawing her anchors, the woman drops downwards with the help of her gas, narrowly missing the Jaw Titan's outstretched claws. She proceeds to her destination, but it doesn't seem that her opponent is willing to let her go, as he chases after her. 

Seeing this, (y/n) twists her body around and heads in its direction with immense speed as she hooks a wire into its arm. 

Porco pulls his arm closer to him, along with the wire, and reaches a hand toward her incoming figure, but the enemy still has an extra wire left. She uses it to anchor onto the ground and dive under his hand before scaling up the side of a building.

Landing, she quickly jumps out of the way as the Titan springs onto the roof as well, then grapples another wire into his back. Swooping in for his weak spot, the nape is suddenly covered by a white hand.

(Y/n)'s eyes widen upon seeing her blades clash against the hardened skin, breaking into multiple shards while they fly past her.

"It's useless! You're out of those explosives!" Porco growls from within his Titan. "We'll put an end to you Island Devils once and for all!"

He reaches his other arm up immediately after, grabbing onto the enemy on his back. Bringing it in front of him, the man glares down at his fist as he tightens his grip, slowly crushing the person trapped in his palm.

Inside, (y/n) grinds her teeth together, pressing her arms and legs against the hand as she struggles to keep the enclosure big enough, but the strength of the Titan is just too much for her. In a last resort to survive, she squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep breath.

"PORCO!"

Said Warrior freezes at this.

What? They know his name? Does the enemy have any insiders? No, the voice sounds too familiar. But it can't be…!

Questions race through his mind as he slowly opens his hand, full of suspense, but is taken aback by a human leaping up in front of his face. With a grunt, (y/n) unlatches the blades from their handles as she swings them forth, sending them spinning in her opponent's direction before getting lodged into his eyes, blinding him for the time being.

She uses this opportunity to flee from the scene, finally meeting up with her two allies as the other removes the blades before running back to his own team.

"How is it?" (Y/n) asks, landing beside Mikasa.

"No luck. Not even the thunder spears can chip it." The latter responds.

Glancing down at the lady encased in the crystal, the (h/c) haired girl grows conscious at her intense gaze, and readjusts the hood of her cloak.

_ 'We need to find a way to break this crystal... But how?' _

(Y/n) searches her brain for any ideas. 

_ 'It won't submit to any of our weapons... Since it's made from a Titan, maybe only another Titan material can cause damage!' _

...

**_"Sorry for holding you back, Porco."_ **

**_"Uh, no, it's fine. I don't mind..." Said man rubs the back of his head as they make their way to an open area, away from the city._ **

**_"That's a relief." (Y/n) sighs, "I'd like to see what the Jaw Titan is capable of. Aside from its formidable speed and jaw strength, I heard its teeth and claws are able to cut through anything. Is that true?"_ **

**_"Well, from what we've experimented, yes." He answers humbly._ **

**_"I see..." Stopping in her tracks, the woman then says, "We're here. All you have to do is shift and use your abilities to their limits."_ **

**_\- - -_ **

**_Later that night, back at the HQ, (y/n) studies a piece of the hardened parts from Porco's Titan._ **

**'Interesting... He was able to crush and tear through all sorts of metals and rocks with just this.'**

**_Walking to a desk, she places it under a microscope to take a look on a closer level. Upon inspection, her brows furrow and she leans back up._ **

**'It's similar to what Hange showed from Annie and the walls...'**

...

Eren looks at the two standing on his arm, moving it a bit to signal for them to relocate, and causing (y/n) to return from her thoughts.

Before she does so, (y/n) turns to him and says, "Eren. I'm not entirely sure if this will work, but the Jaw Titan's teeth and claws are extraordinarily strong. It's been able to crush everything they've experimented on so far. It might be able to destroy the crystal, too."

Using their gear, Mikasa and (y/n) then retreat to the edge of the plaza. They turn around after landing to see Eren's next move as he opens his mouth wide. He brings the crystal toward himself, still stuck in the air, and bites down. 

Blood gushes everywhere, and to everybody's surprise, Eren opens his jaw to reveal a chunk of his mouth missing. Again, Lara glares up at the enemy.

While watching this, (y/n) spots a small figure running across the side of the clearing. Her eyes widen. 

_ 'Falco?!' _

She takes a quick glance back to the rest, everyone being occupied with their own battles, and runs off of the building. Falling, her wires latch onto a wall and quickly pull her in that direction, drawing her closer to the boy.

Falco seems to hear her gear as she approaches, noticing her shadow as well, and hurriedly picks up his pace. Before he could turn around in a panic, he's picked up from under his arms and is soaring across the plaza at an alarming rate. 

The two make it behind Zeke, where (y/n) lowers once more to drop him off.

"You shouldn't be here. Get as far away as you ca-"

A slight glint catches her eye from the shadows and she ducks down, bringing the young boy with her and covering him with her own body as a bullet is shot.

"Get your filthy devil hands off that boy!"

Several soldiers let out a cry as they run up to them with guns. 

Lifting herself off of the kid, the woman grapples one hook to a pillar behind them, reeling the wire in and heading their way. She drags her feet across the dirt and sweeps the men off their feet before anchoring the other wire in another direction. Retracting her first hook, (y/n) flies off, leaving the soldiers confused and on their rears.

"Grice!" Magath rushes up to Falco, who's staring at the retreating figure, and shakes his shoulder. "Are you hurt?!"

"N-No!" The kid answers, glancing between him and the enemy.

_ 'That emblem…' _

**_…_ **

**_Far behind the frontlines of the war, several soldiers of Marley are being tended to. Some possess grave injuries while others are not so bad, but all receive an overall check up of their physical state._ **

**_Sitting atop of a wooden crate, Falco's eyes wander around the tent before slowly falling down on the woman tending to him. There, on the right side of her chest, he notices a small pin hanging from her shirt. It consisted of a silver pentagon with a white wing overlapping a blue wing._ **

**_Curious, he asks, "Excuse me, Miss (y/n), but I couldn't help but notice the pin your wearing."_ **

**_Said girl stops what she's doing and looks down at the accessory._ **

**_"What is it for?" The boy asks, pointing to it._ **

**_"Oh, this?" She puts a hand up to the pin before softly smiling. "It's just something I got from an organization I joined when I was younger. It… Holds a special place in my heart. Because it reminds me of my old home."_ **

**_Seeing the gentle expression on her face, Falco decides to talk more about it, since it seems to make her happy._ **

**_"What does the organization do?"_ **

**_(Y/n) pauses, thinking of how to explain._ **

**_"Well, I guess you could say they're somewhat explorers of sorts. We would travel outside of familiar places and seeked to learn the unknown." She states, "It wasn't the safest job… But I truly enjoyed it."_ **

**_Falco stares at her, happy that he was able to make her smile, even if it wasn't actually because of him._ **

**_"They… seem really nice."_ **

**_Smiling some more, she hums in agreement. "Yeah. I just hope they're doing all right."_ **

**_..._ **

"Then hurry up and get away from here!" Magath takes him out of his flashback and begins ushering the boy away, but Falco stands his ground, refusing to leave.

"Um! Vice Commander Braun is in the back of the plaza, and... He's stuck in the ground and can't move!"

"What?!"

"It's my fault... He protected me!" The boy exclaims.

"Who got him?!"

Falco looks to the side, seeing Gabi run up to them with a gun, and quietly responds, "Eren... Jaeger..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, what a chapter! Y'all finally met up with the Survey Corps and are taking on the people you pretended to be friends with. But were you truly pretending? HmmMmMMmmMm
> 
> Idk if I made it clear enough, but just in case, (y/n)'s odmg/3dmg skills are almost/on par with the Ackermans, since her dad was heavily involved with Titan-related things. This includes the maneuvering gear, so she's already pretty familiar with it even before enlisting in the Training Corps.
> 
> But other than that and her stamina, she's pretty average I'd say lol
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Stay safe and healthy, and I'll see you next week! 😁


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the late chapter ^^;; There were some things in here that I wanted to add before publishing, so hopefully it wasn't too much of a nuisance for you guys! Enjoy!

A large explosion erupts, sending ships at the port flying. It's aftershock even reaches the plaza, forcing everyone to hold on to something and take cover. 

"The Colossal Titan!" The Cart Titan screams, resisting the force of the blast. "Bertholdt had his life and his Titan... Stolen from him!"

Porco snarls. "Damn you!" Going back into his Titan form, he leaps off of the building, running toward Eren again.

"Porco?!" Pieck calls out for him. 

Behind Eren, Mikasa sees the approaching Titan and draws her blades.

"The other Ackerman?!" Completely ignoring the Attack Titan now, Porco jumps up to the black-haired woman, jaws wide open. "Out of the way!"

"We're running out of time! We need to take out the Cart's machine guns before that, no matter what!" Jean shouts.

"Yes, sir!"

Spotting incoming enemies, Pieck warns, "Commander! Enemy attack incoming!" But she's only met with the sound of slicing flesh. She turns around and her eyes widen. 

On Zeke's back is the infamous Levi Ackerman, cutting through his Titan form's nape.

The Beast Titan falls to the ground, right in front of Falco, Gabi, and Magath, before Levi hops onto its limp body, holding a bomb. He gives them a momentary glance before pulling the ring and quickly retreating.

"Mr. Zeke!" Gabi reaches her hand out.

"Get down, Gabi!"

At that, the bomb detonates.

The three watch, as well as the two other Titans, witnessing the defeat of their War Chief.

Still shocked, Pieck remains still, staring at the steaming corpse, when a clank is heard from inside her equipment. One of the four gunners stops shooting.

"What?!"

"What's wrong?!"

"Hey, say something!"

"Carlo?!"

Sasha goes back behind one of the damaged canons after managing to successfully snipe someone, but the Cart Titan notices her. Turning, she charges in her direction, blinded with rage.

"You will pay for that!"

But the woman falls right into the Survey Corps's trap.

Jumping up right behind Sasha, Jean appears with a thunder spear. "Never got to thank you for last time." He launches the spear right through the armor and into the Titan's eye, blowing the metal face plate off and rendering her immobile for a couple of seconds. "Now! Fire! Everything you've got!"

Immediately, the others appear from above, firing all of their thunder spears down on the Cart and her squad.

_ 'E... Everyone...' _ Pieck's eyes widen as she coughs up blood. In a final attempt to save herself, she manages to make it off of the roof, tumbling down to the other side of the three humans.

"Pieck!" Magath yells.

"Hurry! Finish it!" Jean shouts, swinging down with his gear.

Falco stares with a helpless expression, whimpering, "No... Stop it..."

"Grice!"

The boy instinctively sprints up to the Cart Titan, shielding the nape with his own body. "Don't shoot! I'm begging you!"

Jean hesitates for a split second, before narrowing his eyes. This isn't like four years ago. He won't make the same mistake! He shoots the thunder spear at the two, only for steam to blow out of the Titan. Closing his eyes and wincing, the man withdraws, glancing behind him.

_ 'It missed?!' _ His eyes widen,  _ 'Did the steam send it off course...? Or did I miss my shot?!' _

Pieck emerges from the Cart's neck, blood staining her everywhere. 

"Pieck!" Falco exclaims, catching her.

Other Survey Corps members swarm the area, seeing the woman.

"It's the Cart's body!"

"Don't let it get away!"

They close in, hooking their wires into walls and descending, until someone gets shot. The other members of the scouts look back with wide eyes, cursing.

Reloading, Magath screams, "Protect Pieck! Braun! Lend Grice a hand!"

"Yes sir!"

As Gabi helps Falco bring Pieck to safety, others continue pursuing the Titan shifter. But it isn't long until more begin to get shot down by the Marleyan soldiers.

"Don't underestimate us, you devils!"

Seeing this, Jean orders, "No! Fall back!"

The group quickly does so, escaping the hoard of bullets being fired at them.

_ 'Damn it!'  _ Sliding across the top of a building, Porco curses, seeing his two comrades be taken down.  _ 'First the commander, and now Pieck! Were they really... Defeated?!' _

His gaze returns to Eren, now filled with anger. 

_ 'Damn it! Damn it!' _

Mikasa rushes over to cut his Titan with her swords, but Porco jumps up before she could reach him, heading over to Eren from above. 

_ 'DAMN YOU!' _

Hardening it's right fist, the Attack Titan delivers a blow to the Jaw Titan's head, then freezes. 

Porco is still hanging onto its arm, biting into the closed fist. Within seconds, he manages to crush the hand between his jaws.

Eren's eyes grow at this, but the enemy doesn't allow him to recover. 

Raising an open hand, the Jaw Titan then claws at his face multiple times before grabbing onto his head. Being held still, Eren brings up a hand in self defense as his opponent goes in for another attack, dragging its nails across his face. 

This action seems to prove (y/n)'s statement though, as it is revealed that the man held the now damaged crystal in front of him while his opponent attacked.

Falling back, Mikasa is just short of catching the Titan once again. She hisses. "He's fast! It's almost like a different Titan from what Ymir had!"

A faint rumbling is heard, causing everyone to look at where it's coming from. 

Glancing over his shoulder, Connie says, "Jean. It's here."

"Yeah... Exactly on time."

In the distance, a zeppelin flies above Liberio, approaching the internment area. It slows down and begins lowering, following the path of lights previously set up by the Scouts.

_ 'Don't tell me... Are they trying to get away in that thing?!' _ Atop of a building, Porco stares at the incoming aircraft.  _ 'Like I'd ever let them!' _

He runs across the damaged roof toward the blimp.

_ 'I'll smash that thing to-' _

(Y/n) suddenly emerges from a hole below, blades drawn.

Her face hidden in the shadows of her hood, she gazes up at him with furrowed brows. "I thought... You would do that."

Zipping through his legs, the woman twists her body and cuts into the backs of his knees. The Titan falls, unable to run now, and is grabbed by Eren, who throws it onto the ground and rips its arms off.

He presses a foot into its chest, making sure it stays still, then takes the crystal and shoves it into Porco's mouth, before lifting him up by the head.

_ 'Hey... Hey! You've got to be kidding!' _ The Warrior panics.

The brunette forces the Titan's jaws together, slowly adding more and more pressure until cracks begin to form, branching off of each other and creating more.

_ 'Stop it! Please, stop!' _

(Y/n) averts her gaze from the scene with knotted brows as her relative is crushed, blood oozing into her comrade's mouth, giving him access to the War Hammer's power.

Galliard wriggles in Eren's grasp, his lack of limbs not helping his situation, either.

Hearing the Jaw Titan's struggling, (y/n)'s breath is caught in her throat as her eyes grow. She slowly turns around to see her friend get slammed into the ground by the head, knocking him unconscious.

_ 'Why… Why is this happening? Why am I letting Porco get hurt? He's my friend… I should help him…!' _

The woman takes a shaky step forward as Eren lifts the still body to his mouth, but is cut off by Mikasa, who places an arm before her, shaking her head. Although the Ackerman sees him as an enemy, she seems to have an understanding expression as she stops her ally.

(Y/n) looks at her with a conflicted face when someone yells,

"REINER! SAVE HIM!"

She quickly turns her head to the source, instantly spotting two kids with their heads out a window.

_ 'Gabi?! Falco?! I thought they evacuated by now!' _

"Galliard's going to be eaten! Save him!"

"REINER!"

"REINERRRRR!"

Turning her head, (y/n) searches for the Armored Titan as well, when the movement of rubble echoes throughout the plaza. 

Underneath a pile of debris, something arises with a strike of lightning and from within a mask of steam. Everybody witnessing the battle stares in suspense, but the lady's expression becomes one of concern once the steam dissipates.

Reiner's Titan, hunched over, is visibly lacking parts of its armor as it stands before Eren.

The latter halts from taking a fourth Titan for himself and takes notice of another enemy behind him. 

As Reiner slowly approaches, Eren turns around and once again hardens his fist, delivering a solid punch that sends him flying. But as soon as he does so, he notices an absence in his other hand.

On the ground, the Armored Titan managed to retrieve the Jaw, both now rendered unfit for battle.

"Eren!" Mikasa yells, flying over to his Titan.

Steam gushes out of the nape, where he soon emerges from. "I think we're done here. He's out of strength." Looking down at his opponents, his eyes seem to soften slightly. "As he is... Reiner... Won't be able to kill us right now."

The girl faces the other direction, grasping onto her friend's arm. "Then... Let's go. Back home."

Detaching himself from his Titan form, Eren is carried off by Mikasa, still staring at his former comrade and friend. "See you... Reiner."

(Y/n) stands still, her eyes remaining on the two limp Titans.

"Come on, we're leaving." Mikasa momentarily lands and tells her before flying off again.

She continues to silently stare at her former comrades, gaze lingering just a moment longer while taking a few small steps before running off.

The woman leaps across the tops of buildings, going roof to roof as she catches up with the zeppelin. She jumps and begins soaring through the streets of Liberio, getting closer before shooting a hook into a piece of wood at the bottom. Hauling herself up, (y/n) climbs over the edge and onto the aircraft, standing.

She lifts her head, only to be greeted with silent stares.

Caught off guard by the attention, she hesitantly takes her hood off, and replies with a slow, awkward wave, "... Hi?"

More silence. 

(Y/n)'s eyes wander to the side as she rubs the back of her neck, but then,

"(Y/n)!"

Sasha runs over, jumping on the lady and giving her a tight hug.

"S-Sasha…!" (Y/n) gasps with wide eyes. 

"Thank goodness you're okay! Everyone was worried when they heard you got taken away, you know?! But then we finally travelled outside and Eren suddenly disappeared, and he later sent a letter to us that said he met you and that you were all right!" The brunette tells her, shaking the poor woman until she is dizzy. 

"M-Mhmm…" She nods with a lost smile, feeling the world around her spin for a few seconds. 

"Jean and some others were the first to visit Marley themselves in order to help with executing Eren's plan. We were all surprised when they told us that you're famous and part of a noble family." An additional voice joins in on the conversation, their footsteps approaching.

The two women look up to see another one of their friends.

With a smile, (y/n) sighs, "Connie."

"Hey." Said man smirks back. "Nice to see you again, (y/n) "

"Yeah." Looking around, she then asks, "Speaking of Jean, where is he?"

At that moment, there's a thud from nearby. The three avert their attention to the source, looking outside.

"Jean!"

"Grab on!"

Connie and Sasha hold out their hands for him to grab, pulling the man on board. 

"Alright!" Hopping on, Jean looks up to see a familiar girl standing before him. "(Y/n)..."

"That's me." She smiles again. Chuckling, he ruffles her hair. 

Gazing down at (y/n), the man then quietly comments, "Those kids… You seemed pretty close with them."

The woman's expression visibly changes as she looks elsewhere, remembering when Zofia accidentally bumped into him during the festival. "I guess my acting was just that good…"

"You don't need to hide it," Jean sighs, "we had no choice but to follow along with Eren's reckless plan. None of us wanted to kill so many innocents lives."

A loud cheer occurs right after, causing him to sweat drop. "Well, most of us…"

(Y/n) gives a knowing smirk. "Yeah, I know." She then turns around, heading off. "I'm going to check in with the others in the front. You guys make sure to get some rest, okay?"

Walking past the celebrating crowd, she opens the door to the next room, earning the attention of six people who look back at her.

"I see that you're clean, at least. Unlike this bastard, Eren." A certain Ackerman mutters upon her appearance. The woman does a quick salute to him before he returns his gaze to the dismembered Beast Titan, signaling for her to be at ease. 

Armin and Mikasa send her a small smile, to which she did the same back. 

"So we're all here…" Zeke states with a sigh, steam emitting from his healing body.

"You took quite a lot of damage from the captain, Zeke." (Y/n) responds with a hint of amusement.

"You can blame that on him. His improv was so convincing that I almost thought he was actually going for my head." The man responds, a couple of sudden bangs going off in the background followed by more yelling.

Levi scoffs, then glances to the door behind him.

Turning to the tall soldier, she nods to her in acknowledgement. The soldier does the same as well, saying, "Your acting is rather well done too, Miss (y/n). For four years you managed to convince all of Marley that you were a harmless little angel, and then almost revealed my identity."

(Y/n) rolls her eyes. "Just (y/n) is fine. And it's not my fault your fake beard was hardly natural, Yelena."

"Is that so?" Yelena raises a brow, smiling as she reaches a hand to it. "The Warriors seemed to buy into it."

"Probably because they didn't want to be rude." The other woman lets out a breathy laugh while she talks, walking across the room.

Eyes drilling into the blonde Marleyan, Levi asks, "Hey. How long are you going to keep that on?"

"Hm? But people seemed to like it." She comments, bringing her hand to the side of her face and peeling the goatee, starting from the edge.

(Y/n) goes to lean against the wall in front of Eren during this exchange, who's sitting on a bench, wrists chained up. As the ruckus in the other room pursues, a tense silence fills the room as Levi glares at the two Titan shifters and Yelena, meanwhile Eren's childhood friends have a look of uncertainty and concern.

"Are you alright with exposing yourself like that?"

The woman raises a brow at Eren's question.

"Your encounter with the Jaw. You revealed yourself in order to escape." He explains. (Y/n) just shrugs, pretending not to care much.

"They're bound to figure it out anyway."

Everyone looks toward the back in curiosity, the muffled ruckus growing louder by the minute.

"Are they still screaming in there?" Levi grumbles, but the door opens soon after to reveal the explanation.

Restrained and being ushered by a furious Jean, Gabi and Falco's eyes widen as they lay upon Zeke and (y/n) who stare back in shock.

"Gabi… Falco… Why are you here?" The Beast Titan's holder questions.

"...Why? What about you, sir?!" Falco's voice trembles.

"You were alive?!" The girl interrupts with more energy, blood dripping from her nose. "But- How could you have been captured by these devils?!" She looks at the surrounding people, spotting the maiden once more and turning more aggressive. "And Miss (y/n)! Don't any of you lay a finger on her!"

Noticing the bruising on their faces, said woman lets out a quiet gasp and lifts herself from the wall, but decides against her actions almost immediately after, backing down and looking away with crossed arms.

Staring at the pair of kids, the captain asks, "Who are these brats?"

"They killed Lobov and used his equipment to board the ship." Jean answers grimly, then averts his gaze to Gabi. "And then… This girl shot Sasha… I don't think there's any hope for her…"

Eyes wide, (y/n) pushes herself up again and goes along with Mikasa and Armin to check on their colleague. But as she passes by, Braun calls out to her.

"Miss (y/n)!" She pauses, looking down at the kids as they both gaze up at her in confusion. "Where are you going… What's going on?!"

The woman is silent.

"They seem to know you." Levi states, staring at her expectantly. "At least, the 'you' you pretended to be."

(Y/n) forces a stern expression on her face and turns away as she coldly responds, "Does it really matter? Besides, I hate kids." And with that, she leaves, not providing the Warrior candidates any answers as they seem to have a lost expression on their faces. 

She runs to Sasha, falling to her knees beside two others and stares down at the brunette. The three frantically try to call out to their unconscious friend and to preserve her life as tears well up in their eyes.

"Sasha! Sasha, hang in there!"

"Just a little longer! Not until we make it back to the island!"

"Please, Sasha! Stay with us!"

Back at the front, Hange enters the room from the cockpit, closing the door. They look down at the steaming man. "So? Would you say everything went to plan… Zeke Jaeger?"

"... What?" The kids are left speechless, slowly connecting all the pieces.

"For the most part. But there were a number of miscalculations." Zeke answers.

"Sir?" Gabi quietly asks, eyes wide.

Hearing the tiny voice, Hange finally notices the two children and asks, "Hm? Who are these kids?"

The man sighs. "Miscalculations."

"Yelena!" Jean yells, "What happened to you locking down the Jaw and the Cart?! Some of our soldiers are dead because of you!"

The woman winces at the sudden rise in volume, closing one eye. "Sorry… I did manage to trap those two down in that hole… But then I let them get away. That was my fault." She admits.

"And that then caused the Beast to throw more pellets at us than originally planned." Levi joins in on the arguing, glaring down at the Warrior. "As far as forces go, I'd say that was one hell of an improv act. Wouldn't you agree, beardy?"

Zeke stares right back at him. "Don't glare at me like that, Levi… What're you going to do if I piss myself? Anyway, I'd say you make a pretty good actor yourself. Especially considering how much you must have wanted to kill me back there."

The ravenette's brows furrow. "I'm the type of person who likes to save the best part of my meals for last. Because that way, I can really savor the taste."

Outside, (y/n) silently backs up while Mikasa and Armin continue crying out to their friend, wiping her eyes and standing up. She begins making her way to the door to inform the others, Connie trailing quietly behind her.

Opening the door, the woman has difficulty speaking.

"Sasha… Sasha is…" She takes a breath, only to let it out and bring a hand to her face, shaking her head while her shoulders tremble. With a quivering voice, she finally manages to compose herself enough to say, "She's dead."

"... What?" Hange murmurs while Jean's eyes widen and Eren looks downwards.

Staring at the floor, the brown-haired man asks, "Sasha… What were her last words?"

Connie glances to the side before answering, "... Meat… Is what she said…"

Eren's eyes widen as his body begins to shake as well, letting out short breathy sounds resembling laughter. Everyone stares at him in both shock and concern, including Gabi and Falco.

"Eren…" Jean seethes, finding his comrade's reaction disturbing. "Sasha died… Because you got the Survey Corps involved in this, you know."

Said man just remains silent, his head bowed down.

Remembering something, (y/n) wipes her eyes once more before walking up to Hange. "Hange, there's something you might want to take a look at"

They raise a brow while watching the woman reach into her pocket. Pulling her hand out, she places some type of white mineral in their palm, which they pick up with two fingers and examine. 

"It's a piece of the Jaw Titan." The woman informs them. "The Jaw is known to have claws and jaws that can crush anything. Upon further research, I discovered that it seems to have a similar structure to the walls and… Annie's crystal."

Hange goes silent at this, their interest piqued. 

"Just tonight we figured out that it's stronger than the crystal used to protect the War Hammer's user. It might even be able to chip Annie's and the walls."

Holding it up to the light, they place a hand on their chin as they inspect the material some more, before keeping it in a pocket. "I see… Very good, (y/n). Thanks. I'll check it out once we land."

(Y/n) nods.

"No… It can't be…" An unstable voice interrupts, causing everyone to look at the speaker. "Mister Zeke and Miss (y/n)... Are working with the enemy...? This has to be a lie! Tell us what's happening! Why are you giving them information on Galliard?!" Gabi begins to grow frantic, desperate to deny the truth in front of her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Levi inquires the girl, slightly annoyed by her hysteric state. "These two, who you unconditionally placed your trust in… Are working with the so-called Island Devils."

The brunette shakes her head. "No… No! No! How could you?! Didn't you learn that they're a danger to the world?! Why would you do this?! You're traitors to Marley-! No, you're traitors to the whole world! You'll be cursed along with the other devils for your sins!"

"Be quiet, would you?" (Y/n) sighs, rubbing her temple. "It's getting late. You kids should probably rest up."

"Don't tell me what to do, you traitor." Gabi spits out.

The woman stares down at her with an indifferent expression, before looking somewhere else. "I can't be a traitor… If I was never loyal in the first place. Because unlike you, I'm not a warrior. I'm a soldier." She then exits the room once again to mourn the loss of her friend, letting the children stare at her back with faces of hurt and betrayal.

A few hours pass until they finally arrive at Paradis. Their first battle in this war was a bitter one, as their victory took the lives of seven people.

The atmosphere is filled with heavy silence, as the Survey Corps step off the zeppelin and see the corpse of their fellow comrade be carried off in a stretcher. The only thing they could do was stare, those close to the woman having wept all the tears they had on the way home.

Gabi and Falco steal one more betrayed glance at (y/n) and Zeke, before being escorted away to a cell. Neither even seemed to acknowledge the presence of the two kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized, the way I wrote the reader this chapter kinda makes it seem like she has DID/multiple personalities. While you're welcome to interpret it that way, I wrote this chapter with the intention of having (y/n) finally realize exactly what she's doing, and that she was partially wrong thinking she could pull the plan off without feeling conflicted. I just personally don't feel comfortable purposefully writing a character with DID when I don't have it myself, but if you really want to view her that way, I can't stop you.


End file.
